Tunisia Sees Slight Decrease in Inflation Rate in April 2024
In April 2024, Tunisia witnessed a slight decrease in its inflation rate, which dropped from 7.5% in March to 7.2%. This decline is attributed to a slowdown in price increases compared to the same period last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Food Prices on the Rise
The month of April saw an annual increase of 9.2% in food prices. This surge is primarily due to price hikes in the following sectors:
- Powdered coffee: 35%
- Ovine meats: 25.5%
- Edible oils: 21.4%
- Condiments: 17.4%
- Beef: 14.3%
- Fresh fish: 12.1%
Manufactured Goods and Services Also Affected
Meanwhile, manufactured goods experienced an inflation rate of 7.1% over the past year, driven mainly by increases in clothing and household maintenance products, with respective hikes of 9.8% and 9%. Services were not spared, with a 5.6% increase, led by:
- Restaurant, café, and hotel services: 10.4%
- Healthcare services: 9.3%
Underlying Inflation and Price Trends
The underlying inflation rate, which excludes food and energy prices, decreased slightly to 6.9%, down from 7% the previous month. Free prices saw an annual increase of 7.9%, while controlled prices rose by a more modest 4.7%. Finally, free food prices surged by 10%, in contrast to controlled food prices, which saw a more contained increase of 3.6%.