The Consumer Price Index of April this year has increased by 4.87 percent compared to the same month last year. This is as per the National Statistics Bureau’s monthly consumer price index report. This means that consumers are paying almost five percent more for the same goods and services compared to the same month last year.
The Consumer Price Index is a measure of average price changes in the basket of goods and services purchased by households over time.
Prices of the sampled goods and services are collected from urban areas in 20 districts.
According to the National Statistics Bureau, NSB, the increase is associated with an increase in prices of miscellaneous goods and services by 8.34 per cent.
This is followed by an increase in prices in services of restaurants and hotels at 6.64 per cent.
The food items saw a price increase of 5.53 per cent and non-food items saw an increase of 4.31 per cent compared to the same month last year.
However, communication prices decreased by 8.57 per cent in the same period. This, according to the Bhutan Telecom, may be due to a decrease in the number of users resulting from migration to other countries.
Meanwhile, the value of ngultrum continues to depreciate. The purchasing power of ngultrum was 55.5 in April 2024 as compared to December 2012 prices, marking a decrease of 4.64 per cent in a year.
This means what you could have purchased for Nu. 55.5 in 2012 costs Nu. 100 today.
The National Statistics Bureau uses a market basket of 113 items with 314 varieties to calculate the country’s inflation rates.
Deki Lhazom
