People shop at Co.op Mart in Ha Noi. CPI edged up 0.83 per cent in August hitting a 7.5 per cent year-on-year increase. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hung

HA NOI (Biz Hub)–— The Consumer Price Index (CPI) edged up 0.83 per cent in August hitting a 7.5 per cent year-on-year increase, the General Statistics Office (GSO) announced on Saturday.

The jump represents a 3.53 per cent increase on last December and saw prices rise between 0.22 and 4.11 per cent in 10 out of 11 goods categories. The biggest hike was felt across medicine and healthcare, with the lowest price increase in household commodities. Prices remained constant in the postal, telecoms and service sectors.

Petrol price adjustments in June and July were believed to be behind 0.08 per cent of the CPI increase, according to the Head of GSO Price Statistics, Nguyen Duc Thang.

The price of food and foodstuffs also increased as major storms battered agricultural yields nation-wide, while education services saw a month-on-month surge of 0.9 per cent as tuition fees for the new school year were increased in several cities and provinces.

The price of gold saw a slight increase while the US dollar price remained stable at 21,036 VND, he said.

Thang warned that the country needed to prepare for unexpected price movements until the end of this year.

The country's two major economic hubs, Ha Noi and HCM City posted a CPI increase of 3.16 per cent and 0.36 per cent, respectively. — VNS