According to a press release issued by the Palestinian Central Bureau for Statistics, the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Palestine slightly increased by 0.07% during July 2016 in comparison with June 2016; in increased by 1.04% in the West Bank and by 0.20% in Jerusalem. On the other hand, it decreased by 1.45% in the Gaza Strip.

The PCBS attributed the slight increase in the CPI to the increase in the prices of tubers by 10.13%, fresh fruit by 5.47%, gas by 3.10%, fresh vegetables by 2.63%, fresh eggs by 1.42%, and dried vegetables by 1.37%. The increase also occurred despite the decline in the prices of fresh fish by 4.69%, fresh poultry by 4.49%, imported cigarettes by 3.38%, flour by 1.77%, liquid fuels for cars by 0.72%, and liquid fuels for houses by 0.49%.

Moreover, in comparison with July 2015, the CPI increased by 0.34% during July 2016; it increased by 0.35% in the West Bank, but decreased by 0.85% in Jerusalem, and by 0.49% in the Gaza Strip.

The PCBS mentioned that the CPI during the first seven months of 2016 increased by 0.22% in comparison with the same period in the previous year. It increased by 0.25% in the West Bank, while it decreased by 1.52% in Jerusalem, and by 0.09% in the Gaza Strip.

In the West Bank, the CPI increased by 1.04% during July 2016 in comparison with June 2016, mainly due to the increase in the prices of fresh vegetables by 14.32%, tubers by 10.50%, fresh eggs by 7.41%, fresh fish by 4.59%, fresh fruit by 4.46%, gas by 4.38%, and dried vegetables by 1.37%. However, there was a decline in the prices of flour by 0.96%, the prices of liquid fuels for cars by 0.67%, and liquid fuels for houses by 0.38%.

The CPI also increased in Jerusalem by 0.20% during July 2016 in comparison with June 2016. This increase resulted from the rise in the prices of fresh vegetables by 18.85%, fresh eggs by 15.38%, fresh fruit by 8.93%, rice by 5.48%, and tubers by 3.51%. It also occurred despite the decrease in the prices of dried vegetables by 16.76%, gas by 8.33%, fresh poultry by 5.06%, fresh meat by 4.35%, imported cigarettes by 4.30%, liquid fuels for houses by 1.48%, and liquid fuels for cars by 0.88%.

In the Gaza Strip, however, the CPI decreased by 1.45% during July 2016 in comparison with June 2015. This decline in the CPI occurred due to the decrease in the prices of fresh poultry by 15.39%, fresh vegetables by 13.56%, fresh eggs by 7.81%, fresh fish by 7.01%, imported cigarettes by 3.21%, flour by 2.02%, liquid fuels for cars by 0.67%, and liquid fuels for houses by 0.38%. The decline also happened despite the increase in the prices of tubers by 10.00%, fresh vegetables by 7.49%, gas by 2.93%, and dried vegetables by 2.86%.