ArmInfo. In the consumer market of Armenia in 2020, inflation was higher - 3.7%, than in 2019 - 0.7%.
This was largely provoked by an increase in the prices of food products (including alcohol and cigarettes) by 5.5% (versus 0.2% in 2019), and non-food products - by 3.4% (versus 1.4% in 2019) with an increase in tariffs for services by 1.6% (versus 1.1% in 2019). According to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia, the average monthly increase in consumer prices in January-December 2020 amounted to 0.3%, against an increase of 0.1% in 2019. In y-o-y terms (January-December 2020 to January-December 2019), the consumer market also recorded inflation - 1.2% (against inflation of 1.4% a year ago), which was due to an increase in prices for food products by 1.2% (against growth by 2.1% a year earlier), non-food products - by 1% (against an increase of 1.5% a year earlier) and an increase in tariffs for services by 1.4% (against an increase of 0.5% a year earlier).
In December 2020 alone, consumer prices increased by 3.4%, mainly due to the rise in prices for food products by 6.4%, with an increase in prices for non-food products by 2.3% and an increase in tariffs for services by 0.3% while in December 2019, the growth in consumer prices was more modest - 1.3% and came from a rise in the price of food products by 2.7% and an increase in tariffs for services by 0.2%, while the prices of non-food products remained unchanged. In Yerevan, consumer prices increased by 3.3% in December 2020 (against an increase of 1.1% in December 2019).
According to statistics, the December inflation in the food market is mainly due to the rise in prices for vegetables and fruits by 35.9% and 6.5%, respectively (with a y-o-y increase in fruit prices by 11.4% and an increase in vegetable prices by 2.8% - December 2020 to December 2019).
Bakery products and cereals rose in price in y-o-y terms by 7.4%, and in December - by 4.2%. Moreover, specifically bread and flour increased in price by 7.3% and 10% per annum, respectively, while the price went up by 6.1% and 2.2%, respectively in December alone.
Dairy products, cheese and eggs have risen in price in y-o-y terms in total by 5.8%, and in December alone- by 3.6%. In particular, the price of eggs jumped by 18.5% per annum, with a December rise in price by 13.1%.
Fats of vegetable and animal origin increased in price by 13.1% in y-o-y terms, and in December alone- by 6.1%. Moreover, sunflower oil jumped in price by an average of 35.3% per annum, with a rise in cost in December alone by 12.3%.
Sugar and granulated sugar rose in price on in y-o-y terms by 38.1%, and in December - by 3%. Meat products fell 0.6% in y-o-y terms, but in December alone rose 1.1%. But poultry meat rose in price both in y-o-y terms - by 6.5%, and in December - by 8.3%. A miserable December rise in prices was recorded for the following group of food products: fish and seafood - by 0.1%, alcohol and cigarettes - by 0.2% (with an annual growth of 10.4%), soft drinks, coffee, tea, cocoa - by 0.5%.
In the group of non-food products, gasoline and diesel fuel in December increased in price by 4.1% and 2.9%, respectively, with an annual decrease in price by 12.2-23%, and in January-December 2020, compared to the same period of 2019, they decreased in price by 16,7% and 20.5% respectively. Shoes rose in price in December by 0.8%, and the highest increase in price was for jewelry - by 7.5%, fuels and lubricants - by 3.5%, pharmaceutical goods and large household appliances - by 3.2%, small household electrical appliances - by 2.6%.
The December increase in tariffs for services provoked an increase in the cost of services in the field of transport - by 3% (with an annual rise in price by 4.7%), in the healthcare sector - by 1.2% (with an annual rise in price of 3.9%), in the field of entertainment and recreation - by 1.2% (with an annual reduction in price by 0.7%), in the field of communications - by 0.1% (with an annual constant). In the field of education, the December invariability of tariffs for services was accompanied by their annual rise in price by 2%, and in the restaurant and hotel business, the December decline in prices for services by 0.1% was accompanied by an annual rise in prices by 1.8%.
It should be noted that inflation of 0.7% was recorded in the consumer market of Armenia in 2019, against 1.8% inflation in 2018. This was largely provoked by an increase in prices for non-food products (including alcohol and cigarettes) by 1.4%, rather than food products - by 0.2%, with an increase in tariffs for services by 1.1%. In y-o-y terms (January-December 2019 to January-December 2018), the consumer market also recorded inflation - 1.4% (against inflation of 2.5% a year ago), which was due to a rise in prices for food products by 2.1% (against growth by 2.5% a year earlier), non-food products - by 1.5% (against an increase of 4.5% a year earlier) and an increase in tariffs for services by 0.5% (against an increase of 1.2% a year earlier). In December 2019 alone, consumer prices increased by 1.3% due to a rise in prices for food products by 2.7% and an increase in tariffs for services by 0.2%, while the prices of non-food products remained unchanged. In Yerevan, consumer prices increased by 1.1% in December 2019, against an increase of 1.6% in December 2018. The average monthly increase in consumer prices in January- December 2019 amounted to 0.1%, repeating the dynamics of a year ago.