Consumer prices rose 3.4 per cent over the year to January, steady at the same annual rate of inflation as in December.
The bureau’s head of price statistics Michelle Marquardt said the biggest contributors to inflation over the year to January were housing (+4.6 per cent), food and non-alcoholic beverages (+4.4 per cent), alcohol and tobacco (+6.7 per cent) and insurance and financial services (+8.2 per cent).
“Annual inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages increased to 4.4 per cent in January, up from 4.0 per cent in December,” she observed.
“Annual inflation remains elevated for food, apart from fresh food categories.
“Meat and seafood and fruit and vegetables, for example, saw lower or negative annual inflation.”
The key price falls were for recreation and culture (-1.7 per cent) and holiday travel and accommodation (-7.1 per cent).