The index in the first four months grew 0.89 percent year-on-year, the lowest growth rate since 2016.

Compared to the previous month, a downturn was seen in the prices of four out of 11 main groups of goods and services, with housing and construction materials taking the lead (0.43 percent), followed by post and telecommunication services; food and catering services, among others.

The General Statistics Office’s Price Statistics Department attributed the CPI price rise in the first four months to a hike in domestic and export prices of rice as well as the higher demand for the grain for the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

The core inflation rates in April and the first four months of 2021 compared to the same periods last year were the lowest in the past five years./.

VNA