Key Messages
? General inflation reduced to 8.57 percent in January (from 8.71 percent in December 2022), mainly due to a reduction in food inflation which declined to 7.76 percent. Non-food inflation also decreased slightly to 9.84 percent in this month.
? The national average price of LPG for cooking went further up by BDT 142 in January 2023 after having increased by BDT 46 per 12 kg cylinder in December 2022.
? In the domestic retail markets, month-on-month base prices of protein sources (fish, egg and chicken), fruits, onion and garlic increased marginally, while prices of cereals (rice, wheat), oils (palm, soybean), potatoes, red lentils and some fresh vegetables reduced slightly.
? Total import of food grain during the ongoing Fiscal Year up to January 2023 was around 19 percent lower than the same month last year, and total food grains distributed among the poor households through the Public Food Distribution System (PFDS) was 10 percent lower year-on-year (Ministry of Food).
? The cost of a typical food basket (national) in January 2023 (BDT 2,239) moved up by BDT 40 with an increase in prices of some essential food items. In Cox’s Bazar, food basket costs in January 2023 remained 15.8 percent higher year-on-year, putting a strain on a household’s purchasing capacities
Source: World Food Programme