The nation’s consumer price index increased by 1.74 percent in January, compared with the rise of 1.98 percent in December last year.
CPI rose by 1.68 percent in Hanoi and 1.01 percent in HCM City in January and the figures were 1.83 percent and 1.61 percent, respectively, in the previous month.
The General Statistics Office said CPI rises of between 0.36 percent and 2.89 percent were seen in 10 groups of commodities. The education group recorded the strongest rise of 2.89 percent, followed by foodstuffs and restaurant services, 2.47 percent.
The index of garment and textiles and footwear rose by 1.81 percent and food and drinks and medicine, 1.67 percent, due to people’s increasing demand for warm clothes and food for traditional Lunar New Year (Tet).
During the month, gold prices and the US dollar value decreased by 0.05 percent and 0.32 percent, respectively, from December./.