A jump last month in the annual rate of inflation for petrol, air travel and chocolate was offset by an easing in the cost of live entertainment, rail tickets and cleaning equipment, helping to keep the UK’s overall rate unchanged at 3.8%.
The biggest upward pressure on prices came from air fares. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the average ticket price in September was 5.5% higher than the previous year – a stark contrast to August, when fares had droped by 3.5% year on year. Although petrol prices were 2.1% lower last month compared to the same period last year, this represented a smaller annual drop than in August, when they were down by 5.7%, indicating an increase in prices at the pump.
Diesel prices followed a similar pattern, with no change year on year in September, compared to a 3.8% decrease in August.
Items such as chocolate, margarine, soft drinks, ready meals and fruit all saw a higher annual inflation rate last month than in August.
The rate was particularly high for chocolate, with prices soaring by an average of 18.1% compared to a year ago – a more substantial increase than the 15.4% rise recorded the previous month.
Inflation also picked up pace in September for both men’s and women’s clothing, as well as the cost of hotel stays.
However, these upward pressures were counterbalanced by a significant slowdown in the inflation rate for attending live events.
The average price of tickets for the theatre, a concert or the cinema saw a minimal increase of just 0.1% year on year in September, compared with a 7% rise in August.
Inflation has eased for many everyday groceries, including crisps, ice cream, mineral water, fruit juice, potatoes, cheese, eggs and bread.
Several items recorded a swing from positive inflation in August to negative inflation in September, including children’s shoes, fridges, fish and jam.
Annual food price inflation was at 4.3% last month, down from 4.8% in August.
Here are some examples of how the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate has either eased or accelerated.
Two figures are listed for each item: the average rise in price in the 12 months to August, followed by the average rise in price in the 12 months to September.
Examples where annual inflation has accelerated, ranked by the size of change
- Passenger air travel: August down 3.5%, September up 5.5%.
- Chocolate: Aug up 15.4%, Sept up 18.1%.
- Margarine and other vegetable fats: Aug up 2.6%, Sept up 3.7%.
- Men’s clothes: Aug up 0.4%, Sept up 1.4%.
- Soft drinks: Aug up 5.2%, Sept up 6.0%.
- Hotels and similar accommodation: Aug up 2.0%, Sept up 2.7%.
- Ready-made meals: Aug up 6.1%, Sept up 6.7%.
- Women’s clothes: Aug up 1.9%, Sept up 2.5%.
- Fruit: Aug up 3.8%, Sept up 4.1%.
- Confectionery: Aug up 6.0%, Sept up 6.2%.
Examples where annual inflation has eased
- Cinemas, theatres and concerts: August up 7.0%, September up 0.1%.
- Cleaning equipment: Aug down 2.9%, Sep down 7.5%.
- Crisps: Aug up 6.2%, Sep up 1.8%.
- Mineral or spring waters: Aug up 7.3%, Sep up 3.4%.
- Fruit and vegetable juices: Aug up 9.6%, Sep up 5.8%.
- Refrigerators, freezers and fridge-freezers: Aug up 2.6%, Sep down 1.0%.
- Fish: Aug up 0.5%, Sep down 1.6%.
- Yoghurt: Aug up 2.8%, Sep up 0.9%.
- Potatoes: Aug up 1.6%, Sep up 0.2%.
- Jams, marmalades and honey: Aug up 0.3%, Sep down 0.9%.
- Cheese and curd: Aug up 5.1%, Sep up 4.1%.
- Eggs: Aug up 4.8%, Sep up 4.0%.
- Bread: Aug up 2.2%, Sep up 1.5%.