ArmInfo. In the first half of 2019 inflation recorded at the consumer market of Armenia was 0,1%, against 0.6% deflation in the same period of 2018. This was caused by a 0.7% rise in prices for non-food items and an increase in tariffs for services by 0.4%, while food products (including alcohol and cigarettes) became cheaper by 0.4%.
In year-over-year terms (compared to the first half of 2018), inflation was recorded at 2% (against inflation at 2.4% a year ago), which was supported by a rise in prices for foodstuffs and non-food products by 3.6% and 1.2%, respectively, with an increase in tariffs for services by 0.2%. According to the RA Statistical Committee, the average monthly consumer growth was 0.02% in the first half of 2019, against a 0.1% decline a year earlier.
In June 2019 versus June 2018, consumer prices increased by 2.5% due to a rise in price of food products by 4.6%, non-food products - by 1.9%, and an increase in tariffs for services by 0.1%. In June alone, a deflation of 1.9% was recorded, mostly provoked by a 4% reduction in the price of food products, with a drop in prices of non-food products by only 0.3%, while the tariffs for services remained unchanged. In Yerevan, consumer prices declined in June 2019 by 1.8%, against a decline of 1.5% a year earlier.
According to statistics, the June deflation in the food market is mainly due to the 28.2% reduction in prices for vegetables, and only 27% in the capital alone. In y-o-y terms (compared with June 2018) prices for vegetables increased by 19.1%.
Dairy products, cheese and eggs fell in price in June by 0.7%, and the prices for these products increased by 4.9% y-o-y, while only eggs for June fell by 1.3% with a y-o-y increase of 37.6%. In Yerevan, the prices of these products fell in June 2019 by 0.7%.
Vegetable oil and run butter, tea, coffee, cocoa prices fell in June 2019 by 0.6%, soft drinks - by 0.4%, bakery products and grains - by 0.2%, fish and seafood - by 0.1 %
Fruits went up in June by 3.8%, with a y-o-y growth of 8.6%. Moreover, in the capital fruit prices fell in June by 0.9%.
Sugar and granulated sugar went up in June by 0.7%, and fell 8.4% in y-o-y terms. In Yerevan, prices for sugar and granulated sugar increased in June 2019 by 0.9%.
Meat products increased by 3.1% in y-o-y terms but in June alone-by 0.6%, with an increase of 1.3% in the capital.
In the non-food market, the price of gasoline in June increased by 0.8% and diesel fuel - by 0.1%. Compared with June 2018, the reduction in price of gasoline by 4.2% was accompanied by a 1.8% increase in diesel fuel. For the first half of 2019 gasoline prices dropped by 1.4% while diesel fuel went up by 2%. In June, footwear fell by 1.9%, carpets and flooring by 1.5%, jewelry by 0.6%, clothing, building materials, household appliances and gardening equipment by 0.5%, cleaning and washing funds - by 0.4%, kitchen utensils and dishes - by 0.2%, medicines - by 0.1%. At the same time, fuel, lubricants and stationery went up by 0.1% in June, large household appliances - by 0.2%, furniture - by 0.6% and small electrical appliances - by 0.7%. In the capital, prices for non-food products fell by 0.1%.
The June invariance of tariffs for services was the result of a reduction in the cost of recreation services by 2.7%, while tariffs remained unchanged in the fields of communications, medical care, education, culture, legal services, and also in such services as restaurants, cafes and similar establishments. At the same time, in June, a slight increase was observed in the prices of such services as: apartment renovation and household appliances - by 0.1%, hairdressing and SPA salons - by 0.4%, in the transport sector - by 0.6% ( due to a 2.8% increase in tariffs for services of international flights).
It should be noted that in the first half of 2018 a deflation of 0.6% was recorded in the consumer market of Armenia (against inflation of 1.2% a year earlier). In particular, in January-June, food products fell by 3%, while non-food prices went up by 1.9% and service tariffs increased by 1.1%. The average monthly consumption decline amounted to 0.1% in the first half of 2018, against a growth of 0.2% a year earlier. Y- o-y inflation (January-June 2018 versus January-June 2017) was 2.4% (against inflation of 0.5% a year ago), helped by the increase in non-food and food products by 4.8% and 2.1%, respectively, while increase in tariffs for services by 1.5%. In June 2018, compared to June 2017, consumer prices increased by 0.9% due to a rise in prices for non-food products by 5.3% and a rise in tariffs for services by 1.4%, while food products became cheaper by 1.6%. In June 2018 alone, a deflation of 1.6% was recorded, largely triggered by a 3.4% reduction in the price of food products, with a drop in prices for non-food products by only 0.3% and a decrease in tariffs for services by 0.1%. In Yerevan, consumer prices declined in June 2018 by 1.5%, against a decline of 0.9% a year earlier.