Riyadh – Mubasher: The Saudi wholesale price index (inflation) rose 1% in December 2017, compared to the year-ago period, said the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) on Wednesday.
The increase in the Kingdom’s inflation was attributed to a growth in food products, beverages, tobacco and textiles sections with 4.8% after tobacco products and beverages jumped 95.7% and 39.4%, respectively, the GASTAT added.
Metal products, machinery, and equipment sections prices’ inched up 0.8% as basic metals’ prices grew 6.1% and fabricated metal products’ prices increased 5.4%.
On the other hand, the prices of agriculture and fishery products fell 2.7%, followed by 2.2% decrease in ores and minerals, and 0.1% decline in other goods.
On a monthly basis, the Saudi inflation edged up 0.4% to 101 points in December, from 100.6 points.
The monthly rise was attributed to a 2.6% increase in ores and minerals, followed by other goods with 0.6%, food products, beverages, and tobacco and textiles with 0.4%, and Metal products, machinery and equipment with 0.4%.
On the flipside, agriculture and fishery products inched down 0.9% on a monthly basis.
