Home Economy Food prices continue to rise pushing more Nigerians into poverty—NBS

Food prices continue to rise pushing more Nigerians into poverty—NBS

by Business News Report

National Bureau of Statistics has said that the cost of living has continued to rise as cost of food items in the country maintained a steady rise in prices. The NBS in its June 2021 report said “The composite food index rose by 21.83 per cent in June 2021 compared to 22.28 per cent in May 2021. This implies that food prices continued to rise in June 2021 but at a slightly slower speed than it did in May 2021. This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of Bread and cereals, Potatoes, Yam and other Tubers, Milk, Cheese and Eggs, Fish, Soft drinks, Vegetables, Oils and fats and Meat. On month-on-month basis, the food sub-index increased by 1.11 percent in June 2021, up by 0.06 percent points from 1.05 percent recorded in May 2021. 

According to NBS “In June 2021, all items inflation on year on year basis was highest in Kogi (23.78), Bauchi (20.67%) and Jigawa (19.81%), while Cross River (15.53%), Delta (15.18%) and Abuja (15.15%) recorded the slowest rise in headline Year on Year inflation. The average annual rate of change of the Food sub-index for the twelve-month period ending June 2021 over the previous twelve-month average was 19.72 percent, 0.54 percent points from the average annual rate of The ”All items less farm produce” or Core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce stood at 13.09 percent in June 2021, down by 0.06 percent when compared with 13.15 percent recorded in May 2021. On month-on-month basis, the core sub-index increased by 0.81 percent in June 2021. This was down by 0.43 percent when compared with 1.24 percent recorded in May 2021. 

“The highest increases were recorded in prices of Garments, Passenger travel by air and by road, Motor cars and Vehicle spare parts, Shoes and other footwear, Pharmaceutical products, Medical services, Hairdressing salons and personal grooming establishments, Cleaning, repair and hire of clothing, Clothing materials, other articles of clothing and clothing accessories, Furniture and furnishing and Fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipments. The average 12-month annual rate of change of the index was 11.75 percent for the twelve-month period ending June 2021; this is 0.25 percent points higher than 11.50 percent recorded in May 2021.  In analysing price movements under this section, note that the CPI is weighted by consumption expenditure patterns which differ across states. Accordingly, the weight assigned to a particular food or non-food item may differ from state to state making interstate comparisons of consumption basket inadvisable and potentially misleading. 

On month on month basis however, June 2021all items inflation was highest in Kano (2.22%), Akwa Ibom (1.98%)and Osun (1.92%),while Bauchi (0.00%) recorded no change in headline month on month with Abuja and Cross River recording price deflation or negative inflation (general decrease in the general price level of food or a negative food inflation rate). The consumer price index, (CPI) which measures inflation (rate of change in the increase in prices) increased by 17.75 percent (year-on-year) in June 2021. This is 0.18 percentage points lower than the rate recorded in May 2021 (17.93) percent. This implies that prices continued to rise in June 2021 but at a slightly slower rise than it did in May 2021. 

Increases were recorded in all COICOP divisions that yielded the Headline index. On month-on-month basis, the Headline index increased by 1.06 percent in June 2021. This is 0.05 percentage points higher than the rate recorded in May 2021 (1.01 percent). The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve months period ending June 2021, over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve months period was 15.93 percent, representing a 0.43 percentage point increase over 15.50 percent recorded in May 2021. The urban inflation rate increased by 18.35 percent (year-on-year) in June 2021 from 18.51 percent recorded in May 2021, while the rural inflation rate increased by 17.16 percent in June 2021 from 17.36 percent in May 2021. On a month-on-month basis, the urban index rose by 1.09 percent in June 2021, up by 0.05 points compared to the rate recorded in May 2021 (1.04 percent), while the rural index also rose by 1.02 percent in June 2021, up by 0.04 percentage points over the rate that was recorded in May 2021 (0.98) percent. The corresponding twelve-month year-on-year average percentage change for the urban index was 16.51 percent in June 2021. This is higher than 16.09 percent reported in May 2021, while the corresponding rural inflation rate in June 2021 was 15.36 percent compared to 14.94 percent recorded in May 2021”. 

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