Riyadh – Mubasher: Saudi cost of living index (inflation) inched up 0.4% year-on-year in December 2017, the General Authority for Statistics' (GASTAT) report showed on Tuesday.
Growth in inflation was attributed to an increase in tobacco section by 100% after putting selective tax into effect, followed by education with 2.5%, communications with 1.1%, miscellaneous goods and services with 1.1%, and health with 1%, the GASTAT added.
On the other hand, clothing and footwear, restaurants and hotels, recreation and culture, and transport sections' tumbled 3.1%, 1.7%, 1.4%, and 1.3%, respectively.
On a monthly basis, the Kingdom’s inflation shed 0.1% to 137.4 points in December, from 137.6 points a month earlier.
Month-on-month, clothing and footwear section fell 1%, followed by miscellaneous goods and services with 0.6, and recreation and culture with 0.3%.
On the other hand, health and restaurants and hotels sections went up 0.2% for each.
