The consumer price index (CPI) grew 2.82 percent in the first three months of 2018 compared to the same period last year, reported the General Statistics Office (GSO).

 

The GSO and the Ministry of Planning and Investment held a press conference in Hanoi on March 29 to inform the country’s socio-economic indexes in the first quarter of this year.

 

In March, the index declined 0.27 percent from February but increased 2.66 percent over the same period last year.

 

The growth of CPI in the first quarter was attributable to an annual surge in a number of goods categories.

 

The price index of health services soared 35.32 percent during the period, bringing the overall CPI up by 1.37 percent. The increase was a result of the Health Ministry issuing reference fees for health services targeting people without health insurance across 18 centrally run provinces and cities.

 

A number of provinces increased tuition fees in the months, making the price index of educational services up by 6.57 percent, thus adding 0.34-percent increase to the overall CPI.

 

Workers’ average wage has been raised since January 1 this year, followed by increases in prices of maintaining and fixing household items and water-electricity services.

 

The first and second months involved the New Year holidays so there was a high demand for goods and then prices across various services, including food, beverage, apparel, public transport, and tourism were up.

 

The price of beverage and cigarettes and that of ready-to-wear clothes rose 1.36 percent and 1.39 percent, respectively, while the price of public transport service rose 1.87 percent year on year.

 

The price of gas was up by 2.83 percent and that of petroleum surged 9.18 percent year on year.

 

 

The price of US dollar remained quite stable while that of gold fluctuated to the price in the world.

 

According to the GSO, core inflation in January-March (CPI exclusive of fresh food, energy and State-run health and education services) moved up 1.34 percent year-on-year.-VNA