PCBS Report Highlights 359% Surge in Gaza’s Consumer Price Index Post-Israeli Aggression.

Gaza: A report from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) has revealed a substantial increase of 359% in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) one year following the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the report highlights that the overall CPI for Palestine surged by 9.19% in October 2024 compared to September 2024. This increase was particularly pronounced in the Gaza Strip, which experienced a CPI rise of 19.84%. Conversely, the CPI saw a decrease of 1.01% in the West Bank and 0.41% in Jerusalem J1*. The report attributes the fluctuations in the Palestinian CPI during October 2024 to significant changes in the prices of various expenditure subgroups. Notably, the price of dried vegetables rose by 144.33%, potatoes by 74.41%, eggs by 61.55%, fresh chicken by 61.21%, and vegetable oils by 59.55%. On the other hand, prices for fresh fruits and liquid fuel for cars such as petrol fell by 24.42% and 3.85%, respectively. Further analy sis of the report indicated that the Palestinian CPI for October 2024 increased by 70.40% compared with October 2023. The Gaza Strip showed a staggering increase of 309.41%, while Jerusalem J1 and the West Bank experienced more modest rises of 3.03% and 1.85% respectively.