The drop last month in the overall rate of inflation to 1.7% was driven by large changes in the cost of air travel, fuel and household staples such as pizza and rice – though some items saw prices continuing to rise.
The biggest movement was in the average cost of passenger travel by plane, which fell by 5.0% in the year to September, having previously jumped sharply by 11.9% in the 12 months to August.
Other products seeing a switch from rising to falling prices include pizzas and quiches, the cost of which dropped by 3.3% in the 12 months to September after increasing 4.3% in August; carpets and rugs, down 2.9% last month after rising 0.6% in August, and butter, down 0.2% after increasing 0.9% in August.
Petrol and diesel both recorded a larger annual fall in price in September than in August, with petrol down 10.9% last month compared with a drop of 4.2% in August, and diesel down 9.9% compared with a drop of 2.2%, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
A similar trend was seen in a handful of everyday household goods, with the average cost of rice falling more steeply in September (down 3.9%) than in August (down 2.3%), as did the cost of bed linen (a drop of 2.2% in September compared with a fall of 0.8% in August) and crisps (-2.2% in September, -1.1% in August).
By contrast, some items saw prices falling less slowly last month than in August, most notably cheese, the average cost of which dropped 1.2% in the year to September, having enjoyed a much larger decrease of 4.7% in the 12 months to August.
The price of fish was down 1.6% in September, a smaller annual drop than 3.0% in August, and it was a similar story for the average cost of second-hand cars (down 6.3% last month after falling 6.6% in August) and women’s shoes (down 2.4% in September, down 2.6% in August).
A few items swung from negative to positive inflation, such as cleaning equipment, where prices rose last month by 4.3% having fallen in August by 3.3%; fruit and vegetable juices, up 4.4% last month after a drop of 0.4% in August; and children’s footwear, up 3.7% in September following a drop of 1.1% in August.
There were also instances of inflation accelerating, including the average price of coffee (up 4.1% in the year to September, up 1.2% in the year to August); tea (up 6.2% last month, up 3.5% in August); and breakfast cereals (up 2.8% last month, up 1.3% in August).
Below is a list of examples of how the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate has either eased or accelerated.
Two figures are listed for each item: the average rise in price in the 12 months to August, followed by the average rise in price in the 12 months to September.
– Examples where inflation has eased, ranked by the size of the change:
Passenger travel by air: August up 11.9%, September down 5.0%
Olive oil: Aug up 40.8%, Sep up 33.0%
Pizza & quiche: Aug up 4.3%, Sep down 3.3%
Carpets & rugs: Aug up 0.6%, Sep down 2.9%
Rice: Aug down 2.3%, Sep down 3.9%
Women’s clothes: Aug up 3.9%, Sep up 2.4%
Sugar: Aug up 5.8%, Sep up 4.4%
Butter: Aug up 0.9%, Sep down 0.2%
Crisps: Aug down 1.1%, Sep down 2.2%
Men’s footwear: Aug up 0.6%, Sep down 0.3%
Hotels & similar accommodation: Aug up 3.1%, Sep up 2.2%
Ready-made meals: Aug up 2.1%, Sep up 1.4%
Bread: Aug up 2.2%, Sep up 1.6%
– Examples where inflation has accelerated:
Cleaning equipment: August down 3.3%, September up 4.3%
Fruit & vegetable juices: Aug down 0.4%, Sep up 4.4%
Children’s footwear: Aug down 1.1%, Sep up 3.7%
Pasta & couscous: Aug down 3.8%, Sep up 0.9%
Margarine & other vegetable fats: Aug down 2.6%, Sep up 1.7%
Yoghurt: Aug down 3.1%, Sep up 0.9%
Cheese & curd: Aug down 4.7%, Sep down 1.2%
Coffee: Aug up 1.2%, Sep up 4.1%
Tea: Aug up 3.5%, Sep up 6.2%
Fresh or chilled fruit: Aug up 1.8%, Sep up 3.8%
Breakfast cereals: Aug up 1.3%, Sep up 2.8%
Soft drinks: Aug up 1.5%, Sep up 2.9%
Passenger travel by train: Aug up 2.2%, Sep up 3.1%
