The National Bureau of Statistics has said Nigeria’s headline inflation rate increased to 33.95 per cent in May 2024.

The NBS said this in its Consumer Price Index and Inflation Report for May released on Saturday in Abuja.

According to the report, the figure is 0.26 per cent points higher compared to the 33.69 per cent recorded in April 2024.

On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate in May 2024 was 11.54 per cent higher than the rate recorded in May 2023 at 22.41 per cent.

In addition, the report said, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in May 2024 was 2.14 per cent, which was 0.15 per cent lower than the rate recorded in April 2024 at 2.29 per cent.

It noted, “This means that in May 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is less than the rate of increase in the average price level in April 2024.”

The report said the increase in the headline index for May 2024 on a year-on-year basis and month-on-month basis was attributed to the increase in some items in the basket of goods and services at the divisional level.

It said these increases were observed in food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuel, clothing and footwear, and transport.

Others were furnishings, household equipment and maintenance, education, health, miscellaneous goods and services, restaurants and hotels, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and kola, recreation and culture, and communication.

It said the percentage change in the average CPI for the 12 months ending May 2024 over the average of the CPI for the previous corresponding 12-month period was 29.06 per cent.

“This indicates a 7.86 per cent increase compared to 21.20 per cent recorded in May 2023.”

The report said the food inflation rate in May 2024 increased to 40.66 per cent on a year-on-year basis, which was 15.84 per cent higher compared to the rate recorded in May 2023 at 24.82 per cent.

It added, “The rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis is caused by increases in the prices of semovita, oatflake, yam flour prepackage, garri, and beans.

“Others are Irish potatoes, yam, water yam, palm oil, vegetable oil, stockfish, mudfish, crayfish, beef head, chicken liver, pork head, and bush meat.”

On a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in May was 2.28 per cent, which was a 0.22 per cent decrease compared to the rate recorded in April 2024 at 2.50 per cent.

“The fall in food inflation on a month-on-month basis was caused by a decrease in the average prices of palm oil, groundnut oil, yam, Irish potato, and cassava tuber.

“Others are wine, Bournvita, Milo, and Nescafe.”

The report said that “all items less farm produce and energy’’ or core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce and energy, stood at 27.04 per cent in May on a year-on-year basis.

It stated, “This increased by 7.21 per cent compared to 19.83 per cent recorded in May 2023. The exclusion of the PMS is due to the deregulation of the commodity by the removal of subsidy.”

It said the highest increases were recorded in the prices of actual and imputed rentals for housing class, bus journeys intercity, and taxi journeys per drop.

“Others are accommodation service, X-ray photography, the consultation fee of a medical doctor, and laboratory service, among others.”

The NBS said on a month-on-month basis, the core inflation rate was 2.01 per cent in May 2024.

The report stated, “This indicates a 0.18 per cent decrease compared to what was recorded in April 2024 at 2.20 per cent. The average 12-month annual inflation rate was 23.45 per cent for the 12 months ending May 2024; this was 5.34 per cent points higher than the 18.11 per cent recorded in May 2023.”

The report said on a year-on-year basis, in May 2024, the urban inflation rate was 36.34 per cent, which was 12.61 per cent higher compared to the 23.74 per cent recorded in May 2023.

“On a month-on-month basis, the urban inflation rate was 2.35 per cent, which decreased by 0.32 per cent compared to April 2024 at 2.67 per cent.’’

The report said on a year-on-year basis, in May 2024, the rural inflation rate was 31.82 per cent, which was 10.63 per cent higher compared to the 21.19 per cent recorded in May 2023.

“On a month-on-month basis, the rural inflation rate was 1.94 per cent, which increased by 0.024 per cent compared to April 2024 at 1.92 per cent.’’

On states’ profile analysis, the report showed that in May, all items’ inflation rate on a year-on-year basis was highest in Bauchi at 42.30 per cent, followed by Kogi at 39.38 per cent, and Oyo at 37.73 per cent.

However, the slowest rise in headline inflation on a year-on-year basis was recorded in Borno at 25.97 per cent, followed by Benue at 27.74 per cent, and Delta at 28.67 per cent.

The report, however, said that in May 2024, the inflation rate on a month-on-month basis was highest in Kano at 4.24 per cent, followed by Gombe at 4.06 per cent, and Bauchi at 3.75 per cent.

“Ondo at 0.57 per cent, followed by Kwara at 1.19 per cent and Yobe at 1.24 per cent recorded the slowest rise in month-on-month inflation.”

The report said on a year-on-year basis, food inflation was highest in Kogi at 46.32 per cent, followed by Ekiti at 44.94 per cent, and Kwara at 44.66 per cent.

“Adamawa at 31.72 per cent, followed by Bauchi at 34.35 per cent and Borno at 34.74 per cent recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis.’’

The report, however, said that on a month-on-month basis, food inflation was highest in Gombe at 4.88 per cent, followed by Kano at 4.68 per cent, and Bayelsa at 3.62 per cent.

It indicated, “Ondo at 0.02 per cent, followed by Yobe at 0.95 per cent and Adamawa at 1.02 per cent, recorded the slowest rise in inflation on a month-on-month basis.”

 (NAN)