Consumer prices in Jamaica increased the most in May of this year, rising 0.6 per cent from April to May. Measured year over year, inflation reached 6.1 per cent in May — just above the upper bound of the 4 per cent to 6 per cent rate within which the central bank is mandated to keep price increases.

Pushing the price increases in May was higher cost for food and electricity. Items such as yam, lettuce, pumpkin, and carrot rose the most. Food inflation for the 12-month period ending May was 10.7 per cent, well above the overall rate of 6.1 per cent.

The cost of restaurant meals also increased, going up by 8.6 per cent in the last year, also higher than the overall rate.

Moderating these increases was the fall in the index for the “Transport” division, which resulted from lower cost for fuels, with the index for the class “Fuel & lubricants for personal transport equipment” decreasing by 8.9 per cent. The 2.8 per cent decline in the index for the class “Information and Communication Services” was the chief contributor to the fall in the index for the division “Information and Communication”.