Ho Chi Minh City CPI inches up by 0.04% in March hinh anh 1In Ho Chi Minh City, four out of the 11 commodity groups increased in price, three remained unchanged, and the rest saw prices fall in March. (Photo: VNA)

Ho Chi Minh City (VNA)Ho Chi Minh City’s Statistical Office on March 30 reported that the consumer price index (CPI) of the country's biggest metropolis increased by 0.04% in March.

Four out of the 11 commodity groups increased in price, three remained unchanged, and the rest saw prices fall, it said.

Beverages and tobacco, garments and footwear, housing and construction materials, equipment and household appliances all saw prices jump. Drugs and medical services, education, culture and entertainment held steady, while food and catering services, transportation, post and telecommunications, and other goods and services all fell in price.

Analysing the price index movements of some industry groups compared to the previous month, the office said that the group of food and food services decreased by 0.27% in prices. The price of housing, electricity and water, fuel, construction materials increased by 0.53%; gas prices decreased by 3.16%; home repairing services’ prices increased by 0.5%. Meanwhile, prices of equipment and household appliances group increased by 0.11%.

On the downward trend, transportation prices decreased by 0.02%, the post and telecommunications group saw prices decrease by 0.14% compared to the previous month, while the postal and telecommunications services remained unchanged.

According to the office, in the first three months of 2023, the city’s CPI increase by 4.5% in the first three months of this year./.

VNA