Inflation rises in Jordan

The general Consumer Price Index (CPI), measuring inflation, rose in Jordan by 1.56 percent from the beginning of this year until the end of October, reaching 110.58 points compared to 108.88 points for the same period last year, according to the monthly report from the Department of Statistics released on Monday.

This increase was largely driven by several key categories: personal belongings, which saw an 11.60 percent rise; water and sewage services, up by 7.34 percent; union contributions, which increased by 5.86 percent; rent costs, up by 3.86 percent; and tobacco and cigarettes, which rose by 3.53 percent.

For October 2023, the CPI saw a year-on-year increase of 0.76 percent, reaching 110.61 points compared to 109.78 points in October of the previous year. Major contributors to this rise included personal belongings (up by 21.38 percent), water and sewage (up by 7.34 percent), tobacco and cigarettes (up by 6.77 percent), union contributions (up by 5.86 percent), and food additives and spices (up by 4.82 percent).

Some categories, however, experienced declines, which slightly offset the inflation rate. Fruits and nuts saw a drop of 6.92 percent, vegetables and dried legumes decreased by 6.31 percent, furniture and carpets were down by 3.04 percent, and fuel and lighting dropped by 2.74 percent.

Month-over-month, the CPI remained unchanged from September to October 2023, holding steady at 110.61 points. Declines in specific categories included meat and poultry (down 1.81 percent), fruits and nuts (down 1.24 percent), culture and recreation (down 0.95 percent), transportation (down 0.72 percent), and fuel and lighting (down 0.65 percent).