Hong Kong’s inflation in October year-on-year was 3.8 per cent, unchanged from September’s level, with increases in food prices and private flat rentals narrowing and increases in utility costs growing, the Census and Statistics Department said on Thursday.
Among the commodities monitored, housing rentals recorded the highest October year-on-year increase at 5.3 per cent, the department said. The figure was down from a 5.6 per cent increase in September.
Power, gas and water bills came second in October, growing by 5 per cent year-on-year, compared with 3.7 per cent in September.
Among the most notable food-related items, meals bought away from home recorded a 4.9 per cent increase in October, compared with 5.1 per cent the previous month.
On the other hand, durable goods last month were 1.8 per cent cheaper than they were one year ago last October, compared with 1.4 cheaper in September.
Hong Kong’s quartely inflation fell from above 6 per cent in the January-March quarter to around 4 per cent in the second and third quarters.