Abu Dhabi inflation up 2.1% in first six months

DUBAI: Consumer prices in Abu Dhabi rose during the first half of the year as higher costs of housing and utilities particularly in the city pushed the inflation index higher.
Inflation rate reached 2.1 in the first six months, the Statistics Center — Abu Dhabi (SCAD) said in its latest report, while prices in June alone were 1.8 percent higher compared with the same month of last year and 0.8 percent up from a month ago.
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels’ group accounted for the largest rise in the index during the first half of 2017, which contributed 51.3 percent to the overall increase in the consumer price index (CPI), as prices for this group went up 3.2 percent year-on-year during the period.
The inflation rate for the transport segment meanwhile rose 5.4 percent as of June, and contributed 34.2 percent to the overall increase in the index.
Location wise, SCAD noted that the Abu Dhabi region contributed 54.8 percent to the rise of the consumer index during the first half, while the Al-Ain region contributed 39 percent and the Al-Dhafra region accounted for a 6.2 percent increase.
The agency also said in its report that the prices of products bought by lower-income households rose 2.4 percent in the first half, while those of middle-income households increased 2.5 percent. The prices of consumer items purchased by upper-income individuals meanwhile went up 1.9 percent as of June.
Looking forward, SCAD expects consumer prices to rise 1.9 percent during the third quarter and 1.2 percent in the fourth quarter, both from the respective periods of last year.