Buenos Aires City inflation edges higher to 1.8% ahead of INDEC data

Inflation in Buenos Aires City remained consistent at 1.8 percent in September, up 0.1 points on the previous month and providing a potential guide for next week’s national figure.

Prices in the capital have risen by 23.7 percent in the first nine months and 32.9 percent over the last year, according to data published by the City Hall’s IDECBA statistics institute Thursday.

Inflation in the City had fallen sharply in August after jumping to 2.9 percent in July, breaking a three-month run of declines.

According to the statistics agency, September's increase was driven mainly by rises in housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (2.3 percent) and food and non-alcoholic beverages (2.1 percent). Increases in those sectors, along with healthcare and education, together accounted for 64.9 percent of the overall increase.

Food, in particular, drew the eye, with large increases for vegetables, tubers and pulses (up 11 percent), followed by milk, dairy products and eggs (1.9 percent) and meat and meat products at (1.3 percent ).

The reading offers an early indication of the national inflation figure to be published by the INDEC national statistics bureau next Tuesday. Private-sector analysts expect an increase of around two percent.