In September, headline inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), fell marginally to 8.6 percent from 8.7 percent in August. Inflation fell for the following commodity groups: alcohol and tobacco (from 8.3 percent to 7.4 percent); clothing and footwear (9.3 percent to 8.6 percent); transport (14.7 percent to 13.1 percent, as the effect of the September 2010 increases in transport fares fell away); recreation and culture (from 7.7 percent to 7.4 percent), restaurants and hotels (from 9.6 percent to 9.3 percent); and miscellaneous goods and services (from 4.7 percent to 4.5 percent). However, these declines were largely offset by increases in inflation for: food and non-alcoholic beverages (from 7.1 percent to 7.7 percent); housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (from 9.0 percent to 9.7 percent), furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance (from 8.6 percent to 9.8 percent); and health (from 4.3 percent to 4.4 percent). Inflation for communication and for education remained unchanged at -5.4 percent and 10.6 percent, respectively.

The trimmed mean measure of core inflation decreased from 8.4 percent in August to 8.1 percent while inflation excluding administered prices remained unchanged at 7.4 percent.

• Access the report from Statistics Botswana