FOOD PRICE INDEX GROWS BY 3.3% IN ARMENIA IN OCTOBER

YEREVAN, November 28. /ARKA/. Food price index grew by 3.3% in Armenia
in October 2012 against October last year. Alcohol price index rose
by 4.7% in October 2012 as compared with the index recorded in October
2011, Armenia’s National Statistical Service reported.

Price index for medical services went 8.9% up in the first 10 months
of 2012, compared to the same period of the year before; the increase
in October 2012 against October 2011 was 8.6%.

Intra-urban public transport price index grew by 2.4% in
January-October compared with the same period of 2011.

A 2.4% increase was recorded in prices for education in January-October
against the same period of 2011; prices for education rose by 5.4%
in October against October last year.

Public service prices went 0.5% up in January-October against the
same period of the year before.

According to the National Statistical Service, spending on food per
person in overall monthly expenses of households was 52.7% in 2011,
0.9 percentage points higher than in 2010. Rural household spending
on food is 60.6%, whereas urban population spends only 49.3% on food.

The percentage of consumer expenditures for food shows the life
standard of a household. The higher is the percentage, the poorer is
considered the household or the population.

In 2011, per capita spending on healthcare was 2.1% of household
monthly expenditures (3.9p.p. less than in 2010); spending was 0.5%
on education and 10.9% on public services (0.4 p.p. increase against
2010)’ spending on transport was 3.1%.

Spending on culture was zero in 2011. -0–

From: A. Papazian