(The Valley, Anguilla) March 10, 2008: According to the Statistics Department, Consumers in Anguilla ended 2007 paying on average 3.5% more for goods than they did one year earlier as indicated by the Anguilla Consumer  Price Index (AXACPI). Also, specifically during the 4th quarter (October - December)  in 2007, the cost rose 2.4% relative to the 3rd quarter (July - September) of the same year. Overall, the All Items index for the year increased from 130.1 to 134.7 for the basket of goods.
 


The data released show that there were seven (7) increases and four (4) decreases among the 11 categories monitored. The largest increase (7.7%) was observed in  “Transportation and Communication”, driven primarily by the increase in the price of an airline ticket to neighboring St. Thomas, USVI. Similarly, a 7.3% increase was observed with “Drinks & Tobacco”.

The cost of "Food"  increased by 6.6%, which according to the department, was partially due to the increase in the price of ‘take out’ meals (roti and sandwiches) and some meats (beef and goat).  Increases in the cost of both optician eye tests and kindergarten care, contributed to 3.9% increases seen in both the "Medical" and "Education" categories.

The largest decrease (-10.1%) was observed in the “Other” category as a result of the decrease in prices of power tools and sanitary towels among other items. The “Fuel” category decreased by  4.5% in part due to the decrease in the price of candles and the surcharge of electricity; and  the “Clothing & Footwear” category showed a decrease of 2.2% caused in part by decreases in the prices of men’s pants, t-shirts, jeans and ladies jeans.