Mozambique registered deflation (price reduction) in April compared to the previous month, announced this Monday the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

The price of the basket used to calculate Mozambique's Consumer Price Index (CPI) slid three basis points from March to April, that is, there was a deflation of 0.03%.

"The 'food and non-alcoholic beverages' division, was the most prominent, by contributing in the total monthly change about -0.25%" in price changes, according to the CPI bulletin released this Monday.

The change contributed to the year-on-year inflation falling 57 basis points to 5.19%, 

The figure breaks an upward trend in year-on-year inflation that had been seen since August 2020, when it stood at 2.75%.

The average 12-month inflation in Mozambique continues to reflect that trend: it has been rising since March 2020 and grew another 16 basis points, from 3.55% in March to 3.71% in April.

Cumulative inflation in the first three months of 2021 is 3.39%.

Mozambique ended 2020 with a cumulative inflation of 3.52%.

The cities of Maputo and Beira registered price drops "in the order of 0.17% and 0.45% respectively," while in Nampula there was "a price increase in the order of 0.58%," INE added.

The CPI figures are calculated from the price variations of a basket of goods and services, with data collected in the cities of Maputo, Beira, and Nampula.