ArmInfo.In the consumer market of Armenia in January-April 2019, inflation was recorded at 2.5%, against 2.1% inflation in the same period of 2018. According to the RA Statistics Committee, this was triggered by a rise in prices for food products (including alcohol and cigarettes) by 5.1% (versus 3% a year earlier), non-food products - by 0.4% (versus 2.2% a year earlier) and tariffs for services - by 0.3% (against 1% a year earlier).
In y-o-y terms (compared with January-April 2018), inflation was recorded at 1.7% (against inflation, 3.1% a year ago), which was facilitated by a rise in food prices by 2.9%, non-food products - by 0.9% and increase in tariffs for services by 0.3%.
According to statistics, in April 2019 by April 2018, consumer prices increased by 2.2% due to the rise in price of food products by 3.9%, non-food products - by 1.4% and increase in tariffs for services by 0.1%. Only in April, deflation was recorded at 0.1% against the background of cheaper food products by 0.7%, while non-food prices rose by 0.8% and tariffs for services increased by 0.2%. In Yerevan, consumer prices declined in April 2019 by 0.1%, against a decline of 0.3% a year earlier.
The April deflation in the food market is mainly due to the fall in prices for vegetables by 1.8%, meat - by 1.6%, fish, seafood, fats of vegetable and animal origin - by 0.8%. In y-o-y terms (compared to April 2018), prices for vegetables increased by 12.2%, meat - by 2.1%, while fats of plant and animal origin dropped by 1.1%. In Yerevan, vegetables in April fell by 2.2%, meat prices dropped as much, and fats of plant and animal origin dropped by 0.8%.
Alcoholic beverages and cigarettes rose in price per year by 4.3%, and in April alone - by 0.2%.
Dairy products, cheese and eggs come down by y-o-y rate of 1.8%, and only in April - by 0.6%. Moreover, the price of eggs come down in April by 0.5%, with y-o-y growth of 19.3%. In the capital, dairy products, cheese and eggs fell in April by 0.5%.
Sugar and granulated sugar fell in y-o-y terms by 12.1%, and in April alone - by 0.4%.
Coffee, tea, cocoa come down in April by 0.1%, and non-alcoholic beverages did not change in price.
Bakery products and grains went up in April by 0.4%, and in annual terms - by 4.4%. Moreover, flour and bread increased in price per year by 6.2% and 5.3%, and in April alone - by 1.3% and 0.2%, respectively. In the capital, bakery products and grains went up in April by 0.4%.
Fruits have risen in price per year by 1.8%, but in April alone - by 0.1%. In the capital, fruits come down in April by 1.7%.
In the non-food market, clothes and shoes went up in April 2019 by April 2018 by 3.7%, and only in April - by 3.1% (clothes - by 0.9%, shoes - by 6.9%). In January-April 2019, clothing and shoes went up by 1.1%, with y-o-y increase in prices of 3%. In April, gardening equipment also rose in price by 0.7%, furniture by 0.8%, pharmaceutical products by 0.4%, tableware and kitchen utensils by 0.3%. In parallel with this, in April personal items come down in price by 1%, jewelry - by 0.8%, small household appliances, cleaning and detergents - by 0.7%, carpets, floor coverings and stationery - by 0.2 %, building materials - by 0.1%, and large household electrical appliances did not change in price. In the capital alone, non-food products rose in April by 1.3%.
Gasoline and diesel prices rose in April by 0.8% and 1.8%, respectively, with y-o-y decline in prices by 7.5% and 1.2%, but in January-April prices for gasoline and diesel fuel decreased by 4.8% and 1.1%.
The April increase in prices for services was mainly due to the increase in tariffs for garbage collection - by 1.5%, for medical services - by 1.3%, for the repair of household appliances - by 0.2%, by 0.1%. At the same time, tariffs for catering services (restaurants, cafes and similar establishments) decreased by 1.4% and in the service sector by 0.1%. In the reporting month, tariffs for services in the fields of communications and transport, hairdressing and spa salons, as well as legal services remained unchanged.
Tonote, the April deflation on the consumer market (0.1%) was accompanied by a revaluation of the dram against the dollar by 0.7%. In January-April, inflation on the consumer market (2.5%) was accompanied by a revaluation of the dram against the dollar by 0.1%, against a similar picture a year earlier, but with a revaluation of the dram by 0.4% with inflation of 2.1%. In April 2019, by April 2018 dram was devalued by 0.6% against the dollar, reaching 484.3 AMD / $ 1 with inflation of 2.2% (against 481.4 AMD / $ 1 with inflation of 2.4% a year earlier).