JAKARTA – Statistics Indonesia (lit. Badan Pusat Statistik/BPS) secured inflation rate at 3.05% in March 2024, lower than the inflation seen in March 2023 of 4.97%. However, it is higher than February 2024’s inflation of 2.75%.

In the press release quoted Monday (1/4), Windhiarso Ponco Adi, Director of Price Statistics of BPS, said that year-on-year (yoy) inflation resulted from increases in most of expense group indexes, including foods, beverages, and tobacco to 7.43%, personal care and other services to 3.56%, as well as food and beverage supplier to 2.51%.

Indexes of other expense groups also increased, including healthcare to 2.17%, recreation and education to 1.7%, sport and culture to 1.62%, household tools, equipment, and maintenance to 1.03%, transportation to 0.99%, clothes and footwear to 0.89%, as well as housing, water, electricity, and household fuel to 0.55%. Information & communication and financial services, however, shrank by 0.13%.

Throughout March 2024, there were five provinces experiencing most extensive inflation, from West Papua of 4.78%, Gorontalo of 4.13%, Central Papua of 4.10%, West Sumatra of 3.93%, and Jambi of 3.84%. On the contrary, the lowest inflation was recorded in Northwest Papua of 1.42%, Bangka Belitung of 1.80%, East Nusa Tenggara of 1.92%, Papua of 1.98%, and DKI Jakarta of 2.18%. (LK/ZH)