Economic indices paint gloomy future for Palestine

Khaled Abu Amer

May 22, 2017

A Palestinian money exchanger displays money at a market in the West Bank city of Ramallah March 25, 2015. Israel's decision to withhold $130 million a month in revenue collected on behalf of the Palestinians is strangling the economy and leaving the banking system dangerously exposed, the Palestinian central bank governor said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RTR4UT7Y — A Palestinian money changer displays money at a market in Ramallah, West Bank, March 25, 2015. — REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman

عربي

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) indicated in a May 14 press release that during April 2017, the Palestinian consumer price index (CPI) "increased by 0.86% compared with April 2016.”

The PCBS noted that the overall wholesale price index (WPI) in Palestine registered a 0.39% rise during the first quarter of 2017 compared to the fourth quarter of 2016. WPI for local products increased by 1.35% compared with the fourth quarter 2016, while agricultural commodities increased by 2.58%, vegetables and dried fruits increased by 5.91% and animal products increased by 4.39% .