Jersey inflation falls below 6%

The price of cigarettes and housing increased faster than anything else

Inflation has fallen below 6% in Jersey, Statistics Jersey has said.

The 5.7% rate was revealed in the latest M Retail Prices Index (RPI) report for the 12 months to March, published on Friday.

The RPI, the main measure of inflation in Jersey, showed prices were still rising but at a slower rate than a year ago, when the rate was almost 13%.

In December Jersey's inflation rate was 7.5%.

The price of cigarettes and housing increased faster than anything else, both rising more than 10% in the past year, the report said.

Increases in the cost of mortgage interest payments made the housing sector the largest contributor to the annual rate of inflation.