April annual price inflation rate up for food, down for clothing

The annual rate of inflation, as measured by the Retail Prince Index, is up slightly in April, to 0.84% from 0.82% in March, the National Statistics Office has said.

The largest increase in annual inflation was recorded in the Food Index, mainly due to higher prices in the restaurant sector. The biggest decrease came from the Clothing and Footwear index, reflecting lower garment prices.

The RPI is a monthly measure of price changes in the cost of purchasing a basket of typical consumer goods and services, and is closely linked to the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increases and the rent payment adjustment that are carried out periodically.