The annual change in the consumer price index (CPI) was 5,9% in April, unchanged from 5,9% in March. The monthly rate decreased to 0,6% from 1,0%. This is the third time in five months that the annual rate was 5,9%, testing the 6% upper limit of the South African Reserve Bank’s monetary policy target range.   read more »

Annual consumer price inflation quickened to 5,9% in March from 5,7% in February, placing it just below the upper limit (6%) of the South African Reserve Bank’s monetary policy target range. Transport, housing and utilities, and food and non-alcoholic beverages were the most significant contributors, with transport contributing 2,1 percentage points to the annual rate.   read more »

In April and May 2022 Stats SA is updating its seasonal adjustment models for monthly business cycle indicators, namely mining, manufacturing, electricity, building, wholesale, retail, motor, tourist accommodation, food & beverages, land transport, and civil cases for debt. What is seasonal adjustment, and why is it so important for measuring and analysing the economy? We   read more »

Annual consumer inflation held steady at 5,7% in February, unchanged from 5,7% in January. Rising food and transport prices put upward pressure on the monthly rate, with the consumer price index (CPI) increasing by 0,6% between January and February. This CPI release is the second to be compiled using the recently updated weights and basket   read more »

Headline inflation dipped to 5,7% in January from 5,9% in December, mainly the result of lower fuel prices. The consumer price index (CPI) increased by 0,2% between December and January, compared with a monthly rate of 0,6% in December. This CPI release is the first to be compiled using the recently updated weights and basket   read more »

Stats SA published changes to the consumer inflation basket, providing insight into how household spending habits have shifted since 2016. It is best practice for national statistical offices to update the basket at least every five years to ensure that it adequately reflects trends in household spending, technology and consumer tastes. The process involves removing   read more »

Headline consumer inflation ended 2021 at 5,9% in December, up from 5,5% in November. The monthly increase was 0,6%, slightly higher than the 0,5% rise recorded between October and November. Average consumer inflation for 2021 was 4,5%, higher than the averages recorded for 2020 (3,3%) and 2019 (4,1%). The factors driving the rise in the   read more »

Annual consumer inflation accelerated to its highest reading in more than four-and-a-half years in November, driven mostly by rising transport costs. The annual change in the consumer price index (CPI) was 5,5%, up from 5,0% in October and September. This is the biggest annual increase since March 2017 when the rate was 6,1%. The monthly   read more »

Under the twin pressures of tighter COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and a spate of civil disorder in July, as well as several other headwinds, the South African economy contracted in the third quarter of 2021 (July–September). After recording four consecutive quarters of positive growth, real gross domestic product (GDP) slumped by 1,5%1, eroding some of the   read more »

The annual change in the consumer price index (CPI) in October 2021 was 5,0%, unchanged from the 5,0% recorded in September. The monthly rate also held steady, remaining at 0,2%. Food and non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) and transport were the most significant contributors to both the annual and monthly rates. Annual food inflation slows for a   read more »