The Department of Statistics (STAT) released today main results of its 2017 Labour Force Survey. 

When comparing average consumer prices over a twelve month period (Dec. 2015 to Dec. 2016), an increase of 0.1 percent was recorded compared to the same period one year earlier. Inflation has shown an overall decline in 2016 (0.1%) compared to the rate of inflation recorded in 2015 (0.3%). This is also notable in the major expenditure categories; ‘Food’, ‘Housing’ and ‘Transport & Communication’, which all continued to show low rates of inflation in 2016. Markedly, five of the nine expenditure categories which accounted for 77% of total expenditure, recorded deflation in December 2016, significantly impacting the lower annual inflation rate result in 2016.

The Consumer Price Index for Sint Maarten has increased in the month of December 2016 by 0.2 percent compared to that of October 2016. 

The Consumer Price Index for Sint Maarten has increased in the month of October 2016 by 0.3 percent compared to that of August 2016.

When comparing average consumer prices over a twelve month period (October 2015 to October 2016), a decrease of 120.9 percent was recorded compared to the same period one year earlier. The current level of deflation (-0.1%) is comparable to that recorded in Feburary1986 (-0.1%).