Taiwan: Inflation shoots up to thirteen-month high in February
Consumer prices increased 0.93% from the previous month in February, contrasting the 0.35% month-on-month fall logged in January. The effects of the Lunar New Year drove most of the increase, with the prices of entertainment, fish and seafood, and transport all rising as the festivities ramped up demand, while the prices of nursing care and nursery services shot up by nearly a third, as is customary during this period of the year.
Inflation jumped to 2.2% in February, up from 0.9% in January and the highest print since January 2017. Annual average inflation, meanwhile, rose to 0.7% from 0.5% a month earlier.
Core consumer prices, which exclude prices for energy and fresh food, increased 1.09% in February on a month-on-month basis, markedly contrasting the 0.08% decline recorded in the previous month. Core inflation was 2.4%, significantly accelerating from January’s 0.8%.