CPI in July rose by 0.52 percent against June and 3.31 percent compared to the same period last year, the General Statistics Office (GSO) has reported.

July’s index, which was slightly lower than the level of 0.55 percent in June, made the CPI of the first seven months return to one-digit growth or a 9.25 percent year-on-year rise.

Nine out of ten groups of commodity experienced CPI increases with post and transport services seeing the highest rise of 3.05 percent, followed by housing and construction materials with 1.89 percent and drinks and cigarettes with 0.47 percent.

Sports, entertainment and other services rose by 0.45 percent while household utensils went up by 0.37 percent; medicine and healthcare, up by 0.36 percent; garments, headwear and footwear, up by 0.29 percent and education, by 0.21 percent.

Meanwhile, food services fell by 0.05 percent and telecommunications plunged by 0.37 percent.

The price of the US dollar registered an increase of 0.85 percent while that of gold fell by 0.43 percent compared to the previous month.

The prices of the US dollar and gold in the first seven months of the year recorded year-on-year rises of 9.03 percent and 8.58 percent, respectively.

Economists said that if the trend is kept for the rest of the year, it is possible for the nation to maintain a one-digit CPI growth./.