Consumer prices in Benin increased by 1.0% at the end of July compared to the previous month, according to data established by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Analysis (INSAE) of Benin. .
The Harmonized Consumer Price Index for the month under review thus stood at 105.4 against 104.4 in June. According to INSAE, this observed increase is mainly due to the rise in prices of products from the Transport (+6.0%), Clothing and footwear (+0.7%) and Food products and non-alcoholic beverages (+ 0.4%).

Moreover, this statistical structure of Benin revealed a certain number of groups of products whose prices contributed to this increase. This is the case for unprocessed cereals (+6.2%), due to the depletion of stocks of dried maize from the previous crop year during this great lean period.

The same is true of the 7.6% increase in fish and other dried or smoked products linked to the rainy season, which was not favorable to fishing and the smoking of fish.

Tuber-based products saw their prices rise by 8.5%, due to a drop in gari production, particularly linked to the scarcity of tubers during the great lean season.

For their part, the prices of fuels and lubricants increased by 3.6% due to the rise in the price of kpayo gasoline (smuggled gasoline from Nigeria). The same is true for passenger road transport (+9.2%), linked to compliance with barrier measures in public transport, which resulted in higher prices.

The prices of miscellaneous footwear also rose by 2.8% due to the revision of tariffs at the customs cordon under the 2020 finance law.

The price development of these product groups was moderated by the decline in those of other product groups. This is how vegetable prices fell by 6.7% due to the availability of fresh tomatoes. For their part, fruit prices fell by 4.4% due to the citrus season, particularly orange and lemon.

Compared to June 2019, the variation of the HICP is +4.0% against +3.8% the previous month.

In monthly variation, the prices of energy products and excluding fresh products and excluding energy increased by 2.2% and 1.2% respectively, while those of fresh products fell by 0.7%.

But on a year-on-year basis, the prices of excluding fresh products and excluding energy and energy products increased by 4.9% and 7.1% respectively, while those of fresh products fell by 1.4%.

Based on the origin of the products, INSAE indicates that in monthly variation, the prices of imported products and those of local products increased by 0.6% and 0.8% respectively. But year-on-year, those prices rose 1.9% and 4.1%, respectively.