JANUARY 2019

GENERAL RETAIL PRICE INDEX IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
(2000=100)

Year-on-Year and Month-on-Month Changes in Percent

Year-on-Year

Year-on-year growth of the General Retail Price Index (GRPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) continues to move at a slower pace in January 2019

Measured from a year ago level, the increment of GRPI in NCR slowed down further to 2.0 percent in January 2019. Its annual rate of change in December 2018 was posted at 2.7 percent and in January 2018, 3.5 percent. The annual change of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index declined by 0.6 percent from 5.1 percent growth in the previous month. Except for the index of manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials whose annual rate of change remained at 1.9 percent, all the other commodity groups recorded slower annual increases during the month (see Table 2).

Month-on-Month

GRPI in NCR went up in January 2019

On a monthly basis, the GRPI in NCR rose by 0.4 percent in January 2019. In the previous month, it recorded a 0.5 percent decrease.

• The heavily-weighted food index picked up by 1.0 percent in January 2019. This was primarily brought about by higher prices of eggs, beef, milk, fish and vegetables.

• From a 0.04 percent growth in the previous month, the index of beverages and tobacco in January 2019 inched up further by 0.3 percent. Price increases were noted in selected alcoholic beverages and cigarettes.

• The index of manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials moved up by 0.2 percent during the period due to higher prices of plywood, selected paper products, cement, sand paper and steel bars.

• Price upticks in selected sanitary fixtures, undergarments, footwear, bags, textbooks, magazines and selected office supplies slightly raised the index of miscellaneous manufactured articles by 0.1 percent.

• The 0.1 percent increase in machinery and transport equipment index this month was lower compared with its previous month’s growth of 0.3 percent. Price hikes noted in electrical wires and PVC pipes were tempered by the decrease in the price of electrical switch.

• Downward movement was still observed in the index of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials as it dropped by 1.5 percent in January 2019. Prices of gasoline, diesel, LPG and kerosene generally declined during the month.

• From a 2.9 percent growth in the previous month, the index of crude materials, inedible except fuels went down by 0.4 percent in January 2019. This was due to lower prices of gravel, sand, and charcoal.

• Prices of selected paints, medicines, bath soap, cosmetics and insecticides were higher during the period. Thus, the index of chemicals, including animal and vegetables oils and fats rose by 0.1 percent.