PHILIPSBURG:--- The Consumer Price Index for Sint Maarten has decreased in the month of October 2015 by -0.1 percent compared to August 2015.
When comparing average consumer prices over a twelve month period (Oct. 2014 to Oct. 2015), an increase of 0.6 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 August & October 2015
The consumer price index for Sint Maarten has decreased in the month of October 2015 by -0.1 percent compared to August 2015. The price index recorded in October 2015 is
126.8.
Expenditure Category
WEIGHT
INDEX AUGUST 2015 INDEX OCTOBER
2015
% CHANGE
Food 10% 192.5 194.6 1.1
Beverages and tobacco 1% 145.8 145.6 -0.1
Clothing & footwear 7% 114.1 114.5 0.4
Housing 39% 123.4 123.5 0.1
Household furnishing & appliances 6% 145.7 145.8 0.1
Medical care 3% 115.4 115.4 0.0
Transport & communication 20% 107.8 105.7 -1.9
Recreation & education 6% 106.0 106.3 0.3
Misc. 8% 120.1 120.6 0.4
TOTAL 100% 126.9 126.8 -0.1
Expenditure Categories – marginal increases largely offset by decreases
In October 2015, six of the nine expenditure categories became more expensive, whilst two became cheaper. Amongst the more expensive were the categories; ‘Food’ (+1.1%),
‘Clothing and Footwear’ (+0.4%),‘Housing’ (+0.1%), ‘Household Furnishing & Appliances’
(+0.1%), ‘Recreation & Education’ (0.3%) and ‘Miscellaneous’ (+0.4%).
Whereas decreases were recorded for the expenditure categories ‘Beverages and Tobacco’, and ‘Transport & Communication’ with -0.1% and -1.9% respectively. The expenditure categories ‘Medical Care’ remained stable.