Where has inflation gone up and down? Airfare, food prices and more

uk annual inflation rate It was unchanged at 3.8% last month, as rising costs of petrol, air travel and chocolate were balanced by falling prices for live entertainment, rail tickets and cleaning equipment.

air fare presented the most significant upward pressure with National Statistical Office (ONS) recorded an average increase of 5.5% in September compared to a year earlier. This marks a sharp reversal from August, when rents declined 3.5% year-over-year.

Although petrol prices were down 2.1% from a year earlier, representing a smaller annual decline than August’s 5.7% decline, reflecting rising costs of refueling at the pumps.

Diesel prices also showed a similar trend, with no change year-on-year in September, compared to a 3.8% decline in August.

Open Image in Gallery

ChocolateMargarine, soft drinks, prepared foods and fruit all saw higher annual inflation rates last month compared to August.

The rate was particularly high for chocolate, with prices rising an average of 18.1% compared to a year earlier – an even bigger jump than the 15.4% increase recorded last month.

Inflation in men’s and women’s clothing as well as the cost of hotel stays accelerated in September.

Helping to offset all these upward pressures was a sharp slowdown in the inflation rate leading to increased participation in live events.

The average price of theatre, concert or cinema tickets rose only 0.1% year on year in September, compared with 7.0% in August.

Inflation of many everyday grocery items including crisps, ice cream, mineral water, fruit juice, potatoes, cheese, eggs and bread eased.

Open Image in Gallery

A handful of items, including children’s shoes, fridges, fish and jams, recorded a rise from positive inflation in August to negative inflation in September.

Annual food price inflation stood at 4.3% last month, down from 4.8% in August.

Below are some examples of how the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate has slowed or accelerated.

Two figures are listed for each item: the average increase in price over the 12 months through August, followed by the average increase in price over the 12 months through September.

Examples where annual inflation has accelerated (ordered by size of change):

Examples where annual inflation has decreased: