The inflation rate eased in December, led by a decline in the costs of fresh fruit and vegetables, transportation, and foreign travel, Central Bureau of Statistics data shows.
Annual inflation over the past 12 months stood at 3.2 percent, down from 3.4% in November. However, the annual inflation rate is still above the government’s target range of 1% to 3%.
On a monthly basis, the consumer price index (CPI), a measure of inflation that tracks the average cost of household goods, fell by 0.3% after declining 0.4% in November and accelerating 0.5% in October. The December figure compared with analysts’ expectations of a decline of 0.1%.
In December, price declines were seen in the costs of fresh fruit and vegetables, which dropped 5.6%, culture and entertainment slipped 2%, while transportation retreated 0.8%, according to the statistics bureau. Travel costs, including flights within Israel and abroad, fell 2.9%; and prices of hotel stays declined 9.2%.
These were offset by price increases in clothing, which was up 1.9%. In the real estate market, rents on renewal of contracts rose 2.6% and rents on contracts for new tenants jumped by 4%.
It's not (only) about you.
Supporting The Times of Israel isn’t a transaction for an online service, like subscribing to Netflix. The ToI Community is for people like you who care about a common good: ensuring that balanced, responsible coverage of Israel continues to be available to millions across the world, for free.
Sure, we'll remove all ads from your page and you'll unlock access to some excellent Community-only content. But your support gives you something more profound than that: the pride of joining something that really matters.
Join the Times of Israel Community
Join our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this