Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- In April 2023, the consolidated CPI in Uzbekistan for the month amounted to 0.8%, by December 2022 –3.3%. The average monthly increase in the CPI for January-April of the current year reached 0.8%, the Statistics Agency said in a statement.

In annual terms (against April of the previous year), the consolidated CPI was fixed at 11%.

In April 2023, the CPI for goods for the month amounted to 0.9%, services – 0.5%. Since the beginning of this year, this indicator has reached 3.6% and 2.2% respectively. In annual terms, it was at the level of 11.7% and 8.6%.

According to the approved methodology, price registration is carried out monthly from the 10th to the 20th. The data collection is organized in such a way that the price registration in this time period for each position is carried out once, and the interval between registrations for adjacent periods is one calendar month. The level of average prices is influenced by many factors, including assortment and territorial shifts. When calculating the CPI, their influence is excluded in order to identify only inflationary factors. More than 10 thousand retail outlets and objects of paid services are examined monthly, more than 120 thousand price quotations are fixed.

The entire set of goods and services for monitoring price changes, consisting of 510 items, is divided into three large groups.

The short-term CPI for food products in April 2023 was 1.2%, non-food products and paid services –0.5%. CPI for January-April of this year for food products reached 4.7%, non-food products and paid services – 2.2%. CPI in annual terms for food and non-food products was at the level of 13.7% and 9.3%, for services it was fixed at 8.6%.

Without taking into account changes in prices for fruits and vegetables, the short-term consolidated CPI for April 2023 was 0.7%. By the level of December 2022, this indicator is fixed at around 2.3%, April 2022 – 12%.

In April 2023, the contribution of price changes for food products to the growth of the consolidated CPI for the month amounted to 0,53 p.p. They accounted for 64,6% of the total impact of observed goods and services.

The share of the contribution of non-food products amounted to 23.2% (contribution 0.19 p.p.), paid services to the population – 12.2% of the total impact (contribution 0.10 p.p.)

In January-April 2023, the contribution of price changes for food products to the growth of the consolidated CPI amounted to 2.01 p.p. They accounted for about 61.3% of the total impact of observed goods and services. The share of the contribution of non-food products amounted to 23.2% of the total impact (contribution +0.76 p.p.). The contribution of price changes for services was the smallest among the three main groups and reached 0.51 p.p. (15.5%). In the structure of the consolidated CPI in annual terms, the share of food products accounted for 52.8%, non-food products – 29.2%, services – 18% of the total impact.

As part of the execution of paragraph 36 of the "Roadmap" for the implementation of the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2020-2025, approved by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. PD-4796 dated August 3, 2020 “On measures to further improve and develop the national statistics system of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, since January 2021, the State Committee on Statistics (now the Statistics Agency under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan) was the first among the CIS countries to completely switch to the formation of the CPI based on the Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purposes 2018 (COICOP 2018), which is based on the UN international standard - Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose (COICOP) 2018.

In April 2023, short-term CPI for the month in sections I. "Food and nonalcoholic beverages" and VI. "Health" amounted to 1.3%, II. "Alcoholic drinks and tobacco products“ – 1%. The CPI in other sections did not exceed the average for observed goods and services (0.8%). At the same time, the short-term CPI in section VII. "Transport" was fixed at a level below 100.0% and amounted to 99,6%.

CPI for January-April 2023 in sections I. "Food and non-alcoholic beverages" and XI. "Restaurants and hotel services" amounted to 104.8%, VI. "Health" - 104.2%, IX. "Recreation, sports and culture" - 103.8%, XIII. Household goods and services, other goods and services - 103.4%. In all other sections, the CPI for the period since the beginning of the current year has been below the average value for observed goods and services (103.3%).

Annual CPI for April 2023 was lower than the same period last year in VII. "Transport" (-2,8 points), VIII. "Information and communication“ (-2,2 points), IX. “Recreation, sports and culture” (-1,9 points) and X. “Educational services” (-8,6 points).

In April 2023, for the first time since the beginning of the year, a decrease in prices was noted in the group “Vegetables, tuber-fruits and legumes”. The CPI for these products in April amounted to 99,2%;

Short-term CPI below 100.0% was also recorded for oil and fat products (97,6%).

In most groups of the section, with the exception of meat products, fruits and nuts, as well as sugar, confectionery and desserts, the short-term CPI in April 2023 was lower than in April last year.

The CPI in section I. "Food and non-alcoholic beverages" for April 2023 to December 2022 was largely influenced by the seasonal increase in prices for fruits and vegetables. A CPI above the average for the section (104,8%), was noted for fruits and nuts (111,5%), vegetables, tubers and legumes (117,6%), as well as for sugar, confectionery and desserts (105,6%).

The average level of prices for oils and fats decreased by December 2022, which affected the CPI for this group, which amounted to 96,0%.

CPI in annual terms for April 2023 in the groups "Fish and other seafood", "Oils and fats", "Fruits and nuts", "Vegetables, tubers and legumes" was lower than the same indicator for April 2022. At the same time, the average level of prices for fruits and nuts in April of this year remained lower than in April 2022.

In April, there was a decrease in prices for a number of vegetables. Thus, short-term CPI below 100% is fixed for cucumbers, onions, bell peppers, herbs, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, eggplants. Over the four months of 2023, prices for cucumbers decreased most significantly among the observed types of fruit and vegetable products. They also became the commodity with the lowest CPI in annual terms.

Due to the growth in prices for fruits and nuts, cereals and cereals, meat products, as well as sugar, confectionery and desserts, the short-term consolidated CPI for April of this year increased by 0.58 p.p. in total. The limiting factor was the decrease in prices in the groups "Cereals" and "Oils and fats", due to which the consolidated indicator decreased by 0.11 p.p. In the structure of the growth of the consolidated CPI for January-April 2023, a significant contribution belongs to grain crops and cereals, vegetables, tubers and legumes, as well as fruits and nuts (total contribution +1.48 p.p.). The decline in prices for oil and fat products led to a decrease in the consolidated CPI by 0.11 p.p. CPI for April 2023 in annual terms is largely associated with changes in prices for cereals.

In April this year fluctuations in the short-term CPI in Section III. Clothing and footwear ranged from 99.1% (clothing rental) to 101.8% (women’s tights and hosiery).

Section IV. "Housing services, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" short-term CPI in April of this year for materials for the maintenance and repair of residential premises amounted to 102.1%. In two regions of the republic, an increase in fees for the removal of household waste by 8.8% was recorded. CPI for this type of service averaged 101.7% in the republic for the month. The CPI for residential rental services in April was 0.1 point below the 100.0% mark. The short-term CPI for housing maintenance materials reached 102.1% in April.

In April 2023, the upper limit of CPI fluctuations in the Furniture and Household Items group reached 101.8% (a set of upholstered furniture). The range of CPI changes in the Household Appliances group ranged from 100.2% (vacuum cleaners) to 101.5% (washing machines). The upper limit of the shortterm CPI for tools and devices used in everyday life and gardening was fixed at 101.2% for the month (shovels, pitchforks, rakes). In the group “Goods and services used in connection with housekeeping”, there was a decrease in prices for plastic buckets (price index 99.5%), and the upper limit of CPI fluctuations reached 102.8% (laundry and cleaning services for carpets and rugs)

CPI for medicines in April 2023 for the month amounted to 101.9%, outpatient dental services - 100.1%, other outpatient treatment services - 102.2%, inpatient rehabilitation services - 101.2%, for diagnostic imaging and medical laboratories - 100.3%.

In April 2023, as in the previous month, there was a decrease in the prices of gasoline and propane for vehicles. Short-term CPI for gasoline is fixed at 96.3%, propane - 87.1%. Short-term CPI for parking services in April 2023 reached 103.1%, lubricants - 101.2%. CPI compared to the previous month for air passenger transport services amounted to 102.7%, rail and road - 100.5%.

The short-term CPI for information and communication equipment in April of this year amounted to 100.3%, which is lower than in the same month of 2021- 2022, but higher than in April 2020. The range of short-term CPI fluctuations for goods included in this group ranged from 99.9% (other equipment for receiving, recording and reproducing sound) to 100.3% (mobile telephone equipment, laptops, televisions). The CPI by April 2022 in the group was 104.6%, becoming the lowest figure in annual terms for April of the last three years.

Of the services in the field of informatization in April of this year, price changes were recorded only for services for the repair of information and communication equipment, where the CPI for the month amounted to 99.4%.

CPI in section IX. "Recreation, sports and culture" in April 2023 compared to the previous month amounted to 101.1%. The range of short-term CPI for goods and services included in the section ranged from 99.8% (A4 paper) to 116.2% (tourist trip). At the same time, tourist trips have become more expensive only in four regions of the republic.

In April 2023, the average price level in education did not change significantly. An increase in prices was noted only for education services, not subdivided by stage, as well as for the services of private kindergartens. The short-term CPI for the services of non-state preschool educational organizations in April of this year amounted to 100.3%, the services of tutors - 100.5%.

CPI in the field of public catering for April of this year amounted to 100.9%. The shortterm CPI for prepared food in cafes, canteens, as well as fast food establishments was in the range of 100.6-101.0%. April to April of the previous year April to the previous month April to December of the previous year Hotel services in April 2023 rose less significantly than in the previous month. Prices changed only for hotel services (100.4%), while prices for recreation center services remained at the level of March of the current year.

In April of this year, the price situation in the observed insurance and financial services market remained stable. A slight change in prices among financial services was noted only for money transfer services through banks. CPI for this type of service for the month amounted to 99.8%. This is due to fluctuations in the exchange rate of the national currency against the US dollar and, as a result, a change in commission fees for transferring funds in foreign currency.

In April of this year, the fluctuation range of short-term CPI for goods and services included in the group ranged from 99.6% (perfume, toilet water) to 102.1% (toilet paper).

Fluctuations in shortterm CPI for goods and services of this group in April of this year ranged from 100.1% (women’s bags, suitcases and school bags, including briefcases, satchels, backpacks) to 101.1% (sunglasses).

The short-term CPI for other services in April 2023, reaching 100.4%, was formed under the influence of price changes for photocopying services (CPI 101.2%) and funeral services (100.5%).

The contribution of price changes for food and non-alcoholic beverages to the growth of the short-term consolidated CPI in April of this year amounted to +0.50 p.p. The limiting factor was the decline in prices in the transport sector, due to which the consolidated CPI fell by 0.03 p.p. Due to the increase in prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages, the consolidated CPI as a whole for January-April 2023 increased by 1.91 p.p., the increase in prices in the field of transport and healthcare added another 0.51 p.p. The influence of other sections was less significant.

Due to the growth in prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages, the consolidated CPI for April 2023 in annual terms increased by 5.35 p.p., with a total increase of 11.00 p.p. Thus, the specified section accounted for 48.6% of the total impact of the observed goods and services. The total contribution of price changes in the remaining sections amounted to 5.65 percentage points, or 51.4%.