BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 2. The inflation rate in Kazakhstan recorded a slight decrease in June 2023, standing at 0.5 percent compared to 0.6 percent in May, Trend reports.
According to the country's Bureau of National Statistics, in the reporting month, prices for non-food products increased by 0.7 percent, paid services by 0.6 percent, while for food products totaled by 0.2 percent.
Among non-food goods, furniture and household items witnessed a substantial price surge of 2.6 percent in June, followed by suitcases and travel bags at 1.4 percent, bicycles at 1.2 percent, and personal care products at 1 percent. Meanwhile, construction materials experienced a price increase of 0.8 percent, while clothing, footwear, and pharmaceutical products rose by 0.7 percent compared to May.
In the services sector, a notable increase in prices was observed for air passenger transport services, which surged by 9.6 percent. The sanatorium services saw a 6 percent increase, followed by maintenance and repair services for residential premises at 1.6 percent, catering services at 1.4 percent, and healthcare services at 0.9 percent.
As to food products, the price of potatoes saw a significant increase of 9.9 percent, while grapes rose by 4 percent, lemons by 3.9 percent, and apples by 3.1 percent. Mineral and drinking water, as well as soft drinks, experienced a 2.4 percent increase, and fruit and vegetable juices rose by 1.8 percent. However, prices for bananas decreased by 10.6 percent, fresh vegetables by 8.8 percent, eggs by 5.9 percent, sunflower oil by 4.2 percent, and buckwheat by 4.1 percent.
On annual terms, inflation in June 2023 reached 14.6 percent. The yearly comparison shows that food prices increased by 14.6 percent, non-food goods by 15.8 percent, while paid services by 13.3 percent.