The consumer price index (CPI) in HCM City in July rose by 0.23 per cent from the previous month, the municipal Statistics Office said on July 31.

Out of 11 groups of products and services, seven experienced increases, with the most notable rise in the other goods and services category, meanwhile beverages and tobacco saw the strongest decline.

The office noted that in the reviewed month, food and dining services rose by 0.11 per cent, contributing 0.03 percentage point to the overall CPI.

The transport group increased by 1.60 per cent, contributing 0.15 percentage point to the overall CPI, primarily due to a 3.81 per cent rise in gasoline prices following three price adjustments in July.

In contrast, the group of housing, electricity, water, fuels and building materials decreased by 0.10 per cent, mainly thanks to a 0.68 per cent drop in water prices and a 1.39 per cent decrease in electricity prices.

Items that experienced price declines include transport vehicles, which fell by 0.44 per cent due to adjustments in car prices, and spare parts. Culture, entertainment, and tourism group saw a 0.06 per cent reduction.

The average CPI in the first seven months of this year rose by 3.29 per cent, with 10 out of the 11 categories seeing price increases. The highest rise was seen in the group of medicines and healthcare services, at 7.78 per cent, followed by education with 7.48 per cent.

Prices of gold in July dropped 5.38 per cent compared to June but escalated 15.1 per cent year on year.

The US dollar fell by 0.01 per cent month-on-month and increased by 7.02 per cent year-on-year against the Vietnamese đồng. — VNS