Cost of living continues to rise

Posted: Wednesday, May 31, 2017. 4:21 p.m. CST.

By BBN Staff: Belizeans paid an average of $2.20 more for goods and services for the month of April, new statistics show.

The Consumer Price Index for April 2017, released today by the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) sad that the average prices for goods and services were 2.2 percent higher than they were last year. The All-Items consumer price index stood at 105.3 for the month, an increase from 102.9 during the same period in 2016.

The Transport index, saw the highest increase (17.9 percent), due to rising fuel prices and international airfares. Prices within the ‘Fuels and Lubricants’ sub-category were also up, increasing by 11.5 percent for the month in comparison to April 2016. 

“The highest increase was seen in the price per gallon of Premium Gasoline, which rose by 31 percent from $8.29 in April of last year to $10.86 in April 2017,” the SIB said. 

Diesel fuel also had a sizable increase (25 percent), going from from $7.34 to $9.19, while Regular Fuel rose by almost 14 percent from $8.68 in April 2016 to $9.89 in April 2017.

Increases in the price per 100 lb cylinder of butane, was the main contributor in the 1 percent increase in the ‘Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels’ category, while the “All other Categories of Goods and Services” index went up by a marginal 0.1 percent.