The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Friday said inflation rate rose from 24.08% in July 2023 to 25.80% in August 2023.
This was contained in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) August 2023 Report, which the bureau released on its website.
The report noted that in the period under review, headline inflation soared by 1.72% points when compared to that of the preceding month.
NBS said, “In August 2023, the headline inflation rate increased to 25.80% relative to the July 2023 headline inflation rate which was 24.08%.
“Looking at the movement, the August 2023 headline inflation rate shows an increase of 1.72% points when compared to the July 2023 headline inflation rate.”
The report attributed the rise to increases in food, fuel, gas and transportation costs.
NBS said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 5.27% points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2022, which was 20.52%.
It further explained that this shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in August 2023 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., August 2022).
Similarly, the bureau said, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2023 was 3.18%, which was 0.29% points higher than the rate recorded in July 2023 (2.89%).
It added that this means that in August 2023, on average, the general price level was 0.29% higher relative to July 2023.
On food inflation, NBS said the rate in August 2023 was 29.34% on a year-on-year basis, which was 6.22% points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2022 (23.12%).
According to the data, the rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of oil and fat, bread and cereals, fish, fruit, meat, vegetables and potatoes, yam and other tubers, vegetable, milk, cheese and eggs.
NBS said with 31.50%, inflation was highest in Kogi, while Lagos was 29.17% trailed closely by Rivers with 29.06%.
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On the other hand, the report said inflation was slowest in Sokoto with 20.91%, Borno 21.77% and Nasarawa 22.25%.
The report said, “In August 2023, all items inflation rate on a year-on-year basis was highest in Kogi (31.50%), Lagos (29.17%), and Rivers (29.06%), while Sokoto (20.91%), Borno (21.77%) and Nasarawa (22.25%) recorded the slowest rise in headline inflation on a year-on-year basis.”
It noted that on a month-on-month basis, however, August 2023 recorded the highest increases in Kwara (6.07%), Osun (4.36%), and Kogi (4.35%), while Sokoto (1.38%), Borno (1.73%) and Ogun (1.89%) recorded the slowest rise in month-on-month inflation.
NBS said in August 2023, food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Kogi (38.84%), Lagos (36.04%), and Kwara (35.33%), while Sokoto (20.09%), Nasarawa (24.35%) and Jigawa (24.53%) recorded the slowest rise in Food inflation on a year-on-year basis.
On a month-on-month basis, however, the bureau said August 2023 food inflation was highest in Rivers (7.12%), Kwara (5.89%), and Kogi (5.80%), while Sokoto (0.50%), Abuja (1.30%) and Niger (1.40%) recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on a month-on-month basis.
The NBS also yesterday said the country’s public debt stock increased from N49.85 trillion (108.30 billion dollars) in the first quarter of 2023 to N87.38 trillion (113.42 billion dollars) in the second quarter of 2023.
The NBS said this in its Nigerian Domestic and Foreign Debt Report for Q2 2023 released in Abuja.
The report said Nigeria’s public debt stock, which included external and domestic debt, grew by 75.27 per cent in Q2 of 2023.
It said that external debt stood at N33.25 trillion (43.16 billion dollars) in Q2 2023, while domestic debt was N54.13 trillion (70.26billion dollars).
“However, the share of external debt to total public debt stood at 38.05 per cent in Q2 2023, while domestic debt was recorded at 61.95 per cent.”
In a breakdown by states, the bureau said that Lagos State recorded the highest domestic debt of N996.44 billion in Q2 2023, followed by Delta at N465.40 billion.
The report showed Jigawa recorded the lowest domestic debt at N43.13 billion, followed by Kebbi at N60.94 billion.
In addition, it stated that Lagos State recorded the highest external debt with 1.26 billion dollars, followed by Kaduna State with 569.38 million dollars.
“Borno recorded the lowest external debt with 18.75 million dollars, followed by Taraba with 21.92 million dollars,” the NBS stated.
<<The Nation>>