KUWAIT CITY, April 21: Data released by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) on Sunday showed that Kuwait’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 2.41 percent year-on-year in March.

The CSB told KUNA that inflation in Kuwait increased by 0.29 percent in March compared to February on a month-on-month basis. The annual CPI increase was driven by rising prices in several key categories, particularly food, health, clothing, and education, excluding transportation.

According to the CSB, the CPI for the "food and beverages" group rose by 4.99 percent year-on-year in March. The "cigarettes and tobacco" group saw a marginal increase of 0.07 percent over the same period.

The "clothing" group recorded a 4.26 percent rise, while prices in the "housing services" category increased by 0.74 percent. Inflation in the "home furnishings" group rose by 3.46 percent.

The "health" group showed a 3.79 percent rise in its price index, whereas the "transportation" group experienced a decline of 0.98 percent compared to March last year.

Statistics also revealed that the "communications" group saw a 0.72 percent increase on an annual basis. The "entertainment and culture" category rose by 1.92 percent, while "education" prices went up by 0.87 percent.

Prices in the "restaurants and hotels" group increased by 1.5 percent year-on-year in March, and the "miscellaneous goods and services" group saw a rise of 4.72 percent.

The CSB also noted that, excluding the "food and beverages" category, Kuwait’s overall inflation rate rose by 1.77 percent year-on-year in March and by 0.15 percent month-on-month.