Where inflation accelerated in November – and where it eased

Some of the biggest movement in inflation last month was in the cost of petrol and diesel.

Ian Jones
Wednesday 18 December 2024 08:35 EST
A handful of food staples swung from negative to positive annual inflation in November (Aaron Chown/PA)
A handful of food staples swung from negative to positive annual inflation in November (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Archive)

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The rise last month in the overall rate of inflation to 2.6% was driven by changes in the cost of petrol, train travel and live entertainment, along with everyday groceries such as margarine and eggs.

But there were also examples of prices falling, including rice, pizza and cleaning equipment.

Some of the biggest movements were seen in the cost of filling up at the pumps.

While the average price of petrol fell in the year to November by 10.7%, this was a smaller drop than the fall of 13.6% in the year to October, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Diesel showed a similar trend, recording a drop in price of 11.6% in November, smaller than the fall of 14.2% in October, reflecting a rise in prices on forecourts in recent weeks.

Examples where inflation has accelerated sharply include the cost of cinema, theatre and concert tickets, which jumped 9.7% in the 12 months to November compared with a rise of 3.0% in the year to October; cigarettes (up 12.3% in November, up 8.9% in October); butter (up 7.7% in November, up 5.4% in October); and eggs (up 3.9% in November, up 1.7% in October).

Another big factor in the overall rise in inflation last month was the cost of washing machines, dryers and dishwashers, which swung from a drop of 2.0% in the 12 months to October to a rise of 3.6% in the year to November.

A handful of food staples also swung from negative to positive annual inflation: breakfast cereals, which saw average prices down 1.1% in the year to October then up 1.5% in November; cheese (down 0.6% in October, up 1.5% in November); and fresh fish (down 0.2% in October, up 1.2% in November).

Prices are not rising across all items, however.

Some products swung the other way last month, from positive to negative annual inflation, such as pizza and quiche, where the average price fell year-on-year by 1.8% after jumping 4.1% in October; pork (down 0.1% in November, up 0.9% in October) and low-fat milk (down 0.2% in November, up 0.2% in October).

There were also instances of prices falling faster in November than October.

The cost of cleaning equipment saw a much larger annual drop in price last month (down 8.0%) than in October (down 4.0%), as did the average price of toys (down 4.1% following a drop in October of 1.2%), fridges and freezers (down 8.5% in November, down 5.7% in October) and rice (down 2.7% in November, down 1.3% in October).

Annual inflation eased for passenger air travel, with no year-on-year increase recorded last month following a rise of 6.6% in October; for garden products, up 0.7% compared with 3.2% in October; for fruit and vegetable juices, up 4.8% compared with 7.0% in October; and for crisps, up just 0.5% following a jump of 2.5%.

Below is a list of examples of how the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate has either accelerated or eased.

Two figures are listed for each item: the average rise in price in the 12 months to October, followed by the average rise in price in the 12 months to November.

– Examples where inflation has accelerated, ranked by the size of the change:

Games & hobbies: October down 4.5%, November up 6.7%Cinemas, theatres, concerts: Oct up 3.0%, Nov up 9.7%Cigarettes: Oct up 8.9%, Nov up 12.3%Butter: Oct up 5.4%, Nov up 7.7%Eggs: Oct up 1.7%, Nov up 3.9%Cheese and curd: Oct down 0.6%, Nov up 1.5%Passenger transport by train: Oct up 4.7%, Nov up 6.6%Potatoes: Oct up 4.3%, Nov up 5.9%Men’s clothes: Oct up 1.1%, Nov up 2.6%Women’s clothes: Oct up 3.2%, Nov up 4.4%Yoghurt: Oct up 1.3%, Nov up 2.3%Children’s footwear: Oct up 1.0%, Nov up 1.9%Bread: Oct up 1.0%, Nov up 1.6%Tea: Oct up 4.7%, Nov up 5.3%

– Examples where inflation has eased

Passenger air travel: Oct up 6.6%, Nov up 0%Pizza & quiche: Oct up 4.1%, Nov down 1.8%Cocoa & powdered chocolate: Oct up 14.1%, Nov up 9.5%Fabrics & curtains: Oct up 5.0%, Nov up 1.8%Toys: Oct down 1.2%, Nov down 4.1%Refrigerators, freezers and fridge-freezers: Oct down 5.7%, Nov down 8.5%Garden products: Oct up 3.2%, Nov up 0.7%Sugar: Oct up 4.0%, Nov up 1.8%Fruit & vegetable juices: Oct up 7.0%, Nov up 4.8%Crisps: Oct up 2.5%, Nov up 0.5%Dried fruit & nuts: Oct up 5.8%, Nov up 4.0%Rice: Oct down 1.3%, Nov down 2.7%Fresh or chilled fruit: Oct up 3.4%, Nov up 2.1%Household furniture: Oct up 0.5%, Nov down 0.5%Fast food & takeaways: Oct up 4.4%, Nov up 3.9%

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