The consumer price index for August 2022 has increased by a mammoth 15.2 per cent when compared to the same period last year, Samoa Bureau of Statistics (SBS) data show.

The SBS data, which was released by the bureau on 22 September 2022 as part of its CPI report for August, showed that the CPI for August 2022 increased by 15.2 per cent compared to the same month last year with increases also recorded in the transport index (up by 31.3 per cent), communication (28.4 per cent) and food and non-alcoholic beverages (10.3 per cent).

The bureau added that the average annual inflation for the year ended August 2022 was 10.3 per cent.

According to the bureau, the increases were mainly driven by the spike in the imported goods component by 21.4 per cent from the same period last year with local goods also experiencing increases.

This was mainly influenced by the increase in the Imported goods component by 21.4 percent from the same month last year, due to higher prices for fuel, imported food, building material, toiletries, medicine and mosquito repellent products," reads the SBS report.

"The Local goods component also contributed to the increase when it went up by 8.5 percent on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis as a result of higher prices for local food and meals, airline fares, phone calls and internet."

Food and non-alcoholic beverages was also the largest contributor to the 15.2 per cent rise in the CPI in August 2022, added the bureau, contributing to the overall increase for the month of August 2022.

"The most significant drivers of this within the group were taamu and cooking oil which more than doubled their prices in August 2021.

"Other products which contributed to the increase were taro (up 75.7 per cent), banana (up 66.5 per cent), fresh fish (up 30.8 per cent), turkey wing (up 36.8 per cent), round pancake (up 33.3 per cent) and chicken leg quarter (up 26.0 per cent)."

"The next largest contributor was Transport with a contribution of 4.7 percentage-points, increasing 31.3 per cent compared to August 2021. The greatest drivers of this increase were diesel (up 77.1 per cent), airline fares (up 57.9 per cent) and petrol (up 53.7 per cent)."

The bureau said communication also contributed 1.4 percentage-points due to the increase in internet and mobile phone calling per minute.