For October 2022, the Statistical Institute of Belize's monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) survey showed that the All-Items CPI, which summarizes price levels across all consumer goods and services categories, stood at 112.3, up from 105.2 in October 2021. This indicates that the country experienced an overall national inflation rate of 6.7 percent on the cost of goods and services regularly purchased by Belizean households. 'Transport' continued to be the category with the most significant contribution to this increase in consumer prices, accounting for two-fifths of the overall national inflation for the month, followed by 'Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages,' which accounted for one-third.

The cumulative inflation rate for the first ten months of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021, stood at 6.2 percent. The 'Transport' category, accounting for almost half of the year-to-date inflation, was up by 19.1 percent. This reflected higher prices for motor vehicle fuels, 27.8 percent higher than in the first ten months of last year, and new motor vehicles and passenger transport services, which were up by 6.6 percent and 12.1 percent, respectively.

Click the following link to read more: Consumer Price Index, October 2022

Merchandise Trade

During October 2022, Belize's imported goods were valued at $251.3 million, up by 37.4 percent or $68.4 million from the $182.9 million imported in October 2021. Merchandise imports for the period January to October 2022 totaled $2.243 billion, representing a 33 percent or $556.6 million increase from the same period last year when imports totaled $1.686 billion.

Total domestic exports for October 2022 amounted to $39.7 million, an increase of 24 percent or $7.7 million compared to exports for October 2021, which were valued at almost $32 million. Merchandise exports for the period January to October 2022 totaled $423.1 million, up 15.4 percent or $56.5 million from that same period last year, when total domestic exports were valued at $366.6 million.

Click the following link to read more: External Trade, October 2022