MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Jump in Chile's consumer prices index

Chile's Consumer Prices Index jumped 1% in September, the highest since March 2003 according to the latest release from the National Statistics Institute.

Inflation in the nine months of 2005 reached 3,8% and 3,9% in the last twelve months.

The items which experienced major increases were related to fuel and food: Transport 1,7%; Food 1,6%; Housing 1,1% and Clothing 1%.

"There were slight rises in Health, 0,2% and Education and Leisure 0,1% while Home Equipment dropped 0,2% and Others remained unchanged".

Food prices had the largest incidence in the September CPI, 0,39, mainly because of the increase in fresh fruit and vegetables and bakery produce. The other big boost of the month was transportation prices.

As to the items with greatest influence: cooking gas jumped 7,2% in September and 7,8% in the last twelve months; gasoline 3,9% and 18,7%, and bread 2,5% and 2,3%.

In the first nine months of 2005 the Chilean peso has appreciated 5,74% against the US dollar and 6,5% in the twelve months of 2004.