UAE – Mubasher: The consumer price index (CPI) in the emirate of Abu Dhabi slashed by 0.8% year-on-year during the first eight months of 2019, data by the Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD) showed.

The CPI reached 111.1% for the January-August period of 2019, compared to 111.9% for the corresponding period of 2018, the SCAD added in a recent report.

In August 2019, the CPI in the UAE’s capital fell by 1.2% to 110.8% from 112.1% in August 2018, according to the report.

Month-on-month, the CPI edged up by 0.4% last August from 110.4% in July 2019, the SCAD said.

The housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuel segment, which fell by 3.6%, contributed 151.8% to the overall decline in Abu Dhabi’s CPI during the eight-month period ended 31 August 2019 as compared to the year-ago period.

Prices of the transport group went down by 6% year-on-year during the January-August period of 2019, contributing 119.5% to the CPI’s drop.

Meanwhile, prices of the food and beverages group fell by 2.1% and contributed 33.2% to the overall CPI’s decrease.

On the other hand, prices of the recreation and culture group rose by 19.8% during the first eight months of 2019 as compared to the prior-year period, contributing 119.7% to the CPI’s decline.