Alcoholic Beverage and Tobacco Prices to Steadily Increase in 2016

TBILISI – Alcoholic beverages and tobacco prices will steadily increase over the course of 2016, according to the National Statistics Office of Georgia.

Prices for alcohol and tobacco products rose 14.0 per cent year-on-year in March, with tobacco registering the highest growth rate at 19.9 per cent.

Healthcare prices have risen 10.2 per cent since March 2015, with medical product, appliance and equipment prices increasing 18.7 per cent and outpatient services growing 11.6 per cent.

Prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 2.3 per cent in the same period, with fruit (13.4 per cent) as well as oils and fats (8.5 per cent) registering the highest price hike.

Prices for restaurants and hotels jumped 7.1 per cent, while furnishings, household appliances and maintenance prices rose by 6.7 per cent between March 2015-March 2016.

Vegetable prices decreased by 9.6 per cent year-on-year in March.

Public transportation prices dropped 3.6 per cent and the purchasing prices for automotive vehicles slid 11.1 per cent over the same period.

According to the state statistics service, the overall year-on-year inflation in March 2016 sits at 4.1 per cent.


By Ana Akhalaia

Edited by Nicholas Waller