The consumer price index for Sint Maarten has decreased in the month of April 2015 by 1.0 percent compared to that of February 2015. When comparing average consumer prices over a twelve month period (Apr. 2014 to Apr. 2015), an increase of 1.5 percent was recorded compared to the same period one year earlier.
This is evident from the data released by the Department of Statistics (STAT)
today. Price changes between April & February 2015 .The consumer price index for Sint Maarten has decreased in the month of April 2015 by
1.0 percent compared to that of February 2015. The price index recorded in April 2015 is 126.3.
Expenditure Category
WEIGHT INDEX FEBRUARY
2015
INDEX APRIL 2015
% CHANGE
Food 10% 186.6 189.1 1.3
Beverages and tobacco 1% 146.3 146.3 0.0
Clothing & footwear 7% 116.0 115.7 -0.3
Housing 39% 124.5 123.0 -1.2
Household furnishing & appliances 6% 142.8 145.2 1.7
Medical care 3% 114.7 115.0 0.3
Transport & communication 20% 111.9 106.6 -4.7
Recreation & education 6% 108.1 107.8 -0.3
Misc. 8% 120.5 120.1 -0.3
TOTAL 100% 127.6 126.3 -1.0
Expenditure Categories – overall modest increases
In April 2015, four of the nine expenditure categories became cheaper, whilst three became more expensive and one remained unchanged. Amongst the more expensive were the categories; ‘Food’ (+1.3%), ‘Household Furnishing & Appliances’ (+1.7%) and
‘Medical Care’ (+0.3%). Whereas decreases were recorded for the expenditure categories ‘Clothing and Footwear’, ‘Housing’, ‘Transport & Communication’, ‘Recreation
& Education’ and ‘Miscellaneous’; -0.3%, -1.2%, -4.7%, -0.3% and -0.3% respectively. The expenditure category ‘Beverages and Tobacco’ remained unchanged.
