March 2025 Quarter Consumer Price Index (CPI) Released
The Naoero Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the March 2025 quarter, providing an overview of changes in household prices across Naoero. The CPI is a key economic indicator that measures changes in the prices of goods and services purchased by households and is used to monitor inflation trends over time.
Key Findings
Compared with the December 2024 quarter, the CPI decreased by 2.3 percent in March 2025. The largest contributor to this decline was the Transport group, which recorded a 12.0 percent decrease, reducing overall CPI growth by 1.9 percentage points. Prices in the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages group also declined slightly during the quarter.
Despite the quarterly decrease, prices remained higher than a year earlier. The CPI increased by 4.4 percent in the year to March 2025, indicating continued inflationary pressures across several expenditure groups.
Annual Price Changes
The main contributors to annual inflation were:
- Communication prices, which increased by 38.3 percent, largely driven by higher mobile phone credit top-up costs.
- Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, which rose by 15.0 percent.
- Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, which increased by 1.7 percent.
- Smaller increases were also recorded in Clothing and Footwear and Household Furnishings and Maintenance.
Several food items recorded notable price increases over the year, including flour, onions, cakes, sausages, potatoes, eggs, coffee, sugar, ice cream, bread, and instant noodles.
About the CPI
The CPI measures changes in the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services commonly purchased by households. The index helps government agencies, businesses, development partners, and the public understand inflation trends and the changing cost of living in Naoero. CPI statistics are published quarterly by the Naoero Bureau of Statistics.