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ECONOMIC CRISIS

Lebanon's inflation climbs in September

Alcoholic beverages and tobacco month-on-month prices increased the most with a rise of 21.52 percent

Lebanon's inflation climbs in September

A graffiti with the dollar sign on a wall in Beirut, Lebanon. (Credit: João Sousa/OLJ)

BEIRUT — Lebanon's month-on-month inflation rate rose in September, increasing from 7.55 percent to 8.4 percent, according to the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) calculated by the Central Administration of Statistics (CAS) and published on its website Friday.

Consumer prices also increased, amid the country's deepening three-year economic and financial crisis, with the index showing a total of 1,611.43 points in September (the base 100 taken into account is that of Dec. 2013, with the inflation rate approximately 16 times more than it was nearly 10 years ago), compared with 1,486.59 points in August. Meanwhile, the year-on-year inflation rate slightly rose from 161.89 percent in August to 162.47 percent in September.

Alcoholic beverages and tobacco prices increased the most, with a monthly growth of 21.52 percent, followed by transportation costs, with a monthly growth of 20.52 percent, and food and non-alcoholic beverages, with a monthly growth of 12.96 percent. Education costs increased the least between August and September, rising by 0.1 percent.

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However, water, electricity, and fuel's year-on-year prices jumped by 341.71 percent, followed by health (282.56 percent) and transportation (262.45 percent), while education remained at the bottom of the ranking as its cost has risen by 36.5 percent.

Finally, month-on-month prices rose in every governorate in the country, starting with Nabatieh (10.2 percent), followed by North Lebanon (9.17 percent), South Lebanon (9.02 percent), the Bekaa valley (8.77 percent), Mount Lebanon (8.02 percent) and Beirut (7.21 percent).

In all regions, alcoholic beverages and tobacco prices rose sharply, with a peak of 39.24 percent in Nabatieh, except in South Lebanon, where consumption rose by 9.7 percent. Transportation costs increased similarly in all governorates, hovering around 20 percent.

BEIRUT — Lebanon's month-on-month inflation rate rose in September, increasing from 7.55 percent to 8.4 percent, according to the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) calculated by the Central Administration of Statistics (CAS) and published on its website Friday.Consumer prices also increased, amid the country's deepening three-year economic and financial crisis, with the index showing a total...