CAPMAS attributed this decline to a 2.6 percent decrease in the prices of vegetables overall and a 0.3 percent decrease in the prices of fruits and berries overall.
This deceleration resulted from stable prices of meat and poultry, total pre-primary and educational services, total general and vocational secondary education, total post-secondary and vocational education, total higher education, total non-medical education, total clothing, and total telecommunications and internet services, which all saw no increase in prices in January, according to the CAPMAS data.
Despite this, the prices of bread and cereals increased by 1.3 percent, total dairy and eggs by 5 percent, total oils and fats by 0.3 percent, total sugar by 9.8 percent, total beverages and recreational beverages by 0.7 percent, total meat, fish, and seafood by 1.2 percent, total ready-made meals by 1.4 percent, and total furniture by 1.3 percent.
Meanwhile, the country’s monthly inflation rate increased by 1.6 percent in January, up from zero percent in December 2024.
CAPMAS explained this increase as the food and beverage sector recorded a rise of 2.1 percent due to rising prices in the grain and bread group by 1.3 percent, the meat and poultry group by five percent, the dairy, cheese, and egg group by 0.3 percent, the oils and fats group by 0.7 percent, the fruit group by 9.8 percent, the sugar and sugary foods group by 0.7 percent, and the other food products group by 0.6 percent.
The clothing and footwear sector also saw an increase of 1.3 percent due to rising prices in the fabrics group by 0.4 percent, the ready-made clothing group by 1.4 percent, and the other clothing and accessories group by 1.3 percent.
Furthermore, the housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuel sectors recorded an increase of 0.6 percent due to rising prices in the actual rent group by 1.3 percent, the imputed rent group by 0.9 percent, the maintenance and repair group by 0.9 percent, the water and miscellaneous housing services group by 0.2 percent, and the electricity, gas, and other fuel materials group by 0.1 percent.
Additionally, the healthcare sector recorded an increase of 4.6 percent due to rising prices in the medical products, devices, and equipment group by seven percent, the outpatient services group by 0.9 percent, and the hospital services group by 1.4 percent.
Moreover, the transportation and communication sector recorded a rise of 0.6 percent due to rising prices in the vehicle purchase group by 1.1 percent, the expenditure on private transportation group by 0.5 percent, and the transportation services group by 0.5 percent.
According to its latest forecasts, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected Egypt’s inflation rate to be notably 16 percent by the end of FY2024/2025, which concludes in June 2025.
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE)'s first meeting for 2025 is scheduled for 20 February. The committee will review the current key interest rates in light of developments in the macroeconomic and real sectors, mainly the inflation rate trend.
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