Consumer inflation rises to 4.6%
Headline consumer inflation increased to 4.6% in February compared to the same period a year ago.
This is the highest consumer inflation has been in 15 months.
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The monthly shift in consumer prices – the change from January 2020 to February 2020 – was 1,0%.
This is the highest monthly increase since February 2017 when the rate was 1,1%.
A rise in food and non-alcoholic beverage prices and medical insurance fees were notable contributors to the 1,0% increase.
"Almost all of that 1% was contributed by the annual rise in medical aid fees which increased by 9% on average this year,” says Stats SA’s Patrick Kelly.
"This increase is slightly higher than last year's 8.3% and 2018's 8% but lower than the 9.8% recorded in 2019."