nflation for January 2013 recorded 8.8 per cent same as in December 2012.

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), which made this known, recently said the monthly change rate for January was 2.1 per cent as against 0.7 per cent recorded in December 2012.

Philomena Nyarko, Acting Government Statistician, in a presentation, noted that the year-on-year non-food inflation rate was 11.5 per cent compared to 11.6 per cent in December 2012.

Dr Nyarko said food and non-alcoholic beverages recorded an average year-on-year inflation rate of 3.9 per cent, same as in December.

Dr Nyarko conversely said the non-food recorded an inflation rate of 11.5 per cent with education recording the highest rate of 21.9 per cent followed by alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics, which recorded 17 per cent.

The non-food inflation rate for January 2013 was the lowest since March 2012.

“The year-on-year non-food inflation rate was about three times as high as the food inflation,” she said.

At the regional level, the year-on-year inflation rate ranged from 5.8 per cent in the Volta region to 11 per cent in the Greater Accra region.

Greater Accra, Central, Northern and Ashanti recorded inflation rates above the national average of 8.8 per cent.

Greater Accra Region recorded the highest inflation rate of 11.0 percent while Volta region had the lowest rate 5.8 percent.

The “price drivers” for the non-food inflation rate were education (21.9 percent), alcohol beverages, tobacco and narcotics (17.0 percent), clothing and footwear (16.3 percent) and miscellaneous goods and services (15.0 percent).

The “price drive” for the food inflation was mineral water, soft drinks and juices (18.0 percent), coffee, tea and cocoa (15.3 percent) milk, cheese and eggs (12.2 percent) and meat (11.8 percent).