Harare, (New Ziana) – The cost of living rose 5.5 percent in December, with a person requiring $4 670 not to be deemed
poor, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) has said.

According to Zimstat, the figure rose from $4 426 in November, reflecting continued rise in the cost of living.

“This means that an individual required that much to purchase both non-food and food items as at December 2020 in order not to be deemed poor,” it said.

For food alone, a person required $3 494 in December, up 6.5 percent from the previous month.

The jump in the cost of living comes as inflation, during the same month, slowed down to 348.59 percent from 401.66 percent in November.

Government has said it is expecting prices to remain stable throughout the year on the back of fiscal and monetary measures that are expected to contain inflation, which is estimated to have closed the year at around 135
percent.
New Ziana