Benin slips into deflation as food prices fall, inflation turns negative

• Benin’s inflation falls to -0.1% in February
• Food and transport costs drive price decline

COTONOU, BENIN – Benin slipped into deflation in February as falling food and service costs outweighed rising housing and energy prices, according to new government statistics.

Consumer prices fell by 0.1% year-on-year in February, down from a 0.9% increase recorded in January, data released Monday by the National Institute of Statistics and Demography (INStaD) showed.