The inflation rate in San Diego County experienced an increase to 4.7 percent in September, putting an end to a year of steady declines. The main cause cited for this increase is the rise in gasoline prices, which have seen a 16 percent increase in the last two months, according to data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index.

 

Despite this increase, inflation in San Diego remains lower than a year ago when it stood at 8.2 percent but higher than the 4.3 percent recorded in July.

 

San Diego was not the only city to experience these increases, as inflation rose nationally by 0.4 percent, reaching 3.7 percent. However, San Diego is among the regions with the largest increases, ranking fourth out of 12 metropolitan areas analyzed. Tampa leads the list with an inflation rate of 6.7 percent.

 

Alan Gin, a prominent economist at the University of San Diego, noted that the increase in gasoline prices directly impacts the local economy, disproportionately affecting those with lower incomes. Gin emphasized that, although gasoline prices have begun to show signs of reduction, the inflation rate still reflects significant figures.

 

On the other hand, from July to September, there were increases in areas such as healthcare by 2.8 percent, meats and poultry by 2.7 percent, and housing by 1.5 percent. Nationally, housing has been the primary inflationary factor, with notable increases in rental prices and mortgage rates for new buyers.

 

Not everything has seen increases; some prices decreased in September. Among these, new and used cars experienced a 3.2 percent decrease, clothing dropped by 3.1 percent, fruits and vegetables decreased by 2.2 percent, and non-alcoholic beverages decreased by 1.6 percent.

 

Annually, inflation in the South has recorded a 4.2 percent rate, followed by the West with 3.9 percent, the Midwest with 3.2 percent, and the Northeast with 3 percent.