Dhaka's cost of living rises 6.47pc in 2016

Dhaka's cost of living rises 6.47pc in 2016.
Dhaka's cost of living rises 6.47pc in 2016.

Cost of living increased by 6.47 per cent while prices of commodities and services by 5.81 per cent in the capital in the just concluded year.

Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) revealed this information in a study report published on Sunday.

According to CAB statistics, cost of living had increased by 6.38 per cent in 2015, which was 0.09 per cent more than the rise in 2016.

Except a few items, commodity prices remained stable, to a large extent, in 2016 compared to the previous year's, said the CAB report.

The CAB study report has been prepared after reviewing the prices of 14 services, 114 food items and 22 other daily necessities in 15 markets in the city.

The report says prices of rice and pulses increased in 2016. The price of rice increased by 2.87 per cent while pulses about 10 per cent on an average.

The prices of imported lentil and local lentil increased by 35.78 per cent and 12.98 per cent respectively in 2016.

The price of imported garlic increased by 72.06 per cent while local garlic by 47 per cent.

The price of sugar increased by 46.05 per cent while salt 37.32 per cent, tea 11.70 per cent, cows' milk 8.60 per cent and meat 6.24 per cent.

The price of local long cloth increased by 10.39 per cent.

The CAB report says that the prices of all varieties of rice witnessed upward trends in both wholesale and retail markets towards the end of the year though those were almost static throughout the year.

The price of coarse rise, consumed by low-income people, increased most, it added.

According to the CAB report, house rent increased by 8.77 per cent in Dhaka city in 2016.

There was no improvement in public transport system in the city. The traffic jam situation declined in 2016, the report says.

It adds that cost of medical treatment was high in 2016 through the health service section expanded in the recent years.