Hanoi’s consumer price index (CPI) in March is estimated to increase by 2.41 percent over last month and 13.56 percent compared to the same period last year, the Hanoi Statistics Office (HSO) said.

This is the sharpest rise of Hanoi ’s CPI since February 2010 when the figure stood at 2.61 percent.

All 11 product categories registered price increases with five of them rising over 1 percent. The biggest price hikes in the month were seen in transportation services with 7.41 percent, following by housing, electricity, water, fuel and building materials with 3.19 percent, food and restaurant services with 2.79 percent.

Other categories including cultural products, entertainment and tourism; telecoms; education; health care; home appliances; footwear and garment saw slight price increase ranging from 0.02 to 0.86 percent over last month.

According to economic analysts, the rise in the month’s CPI was expected as electricity and fuel price hikes pushed up the prices of essential products by an estimated 0.43 percent. The high CPI this month will create pressure on the country’s economy as well as the target of curbing the annual inflation rate at 7 percent.

Also during the month, gold price increased 5.27 percent against last month while the US dollar price was up by 3.11 percent month-on-month./.