Dhaka’s living increased by 6.8pc in 2020

Cost of living in Dhaka increased by 6.88 per cent, the highest in the last three years, in 2020 amid the adverse impact of Covid-19 pandemic, according to the annual report of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh.

At the same time, prices of goods and services also increased by 6.31 per cent in the year, it said.

CAB on Wednesday released the report titled ‘Cost of Living Report 2020’ at a virtual press briefing.

Cost of living and the price of goods and services rose by 6.50 per cent and 6.08 per cent in 2019.

The rate for cost of living and prices of goods and services was 6 per cent and 5.19 per cent respectively in 2018.

The report, however, did not calculate the cost of education, treatment cost and actual transportation cost.

“It is evident that the cost of living in the capital increased at the highest rate in a year when lower and middle-income groups faced huge income loss amid the Covid-19 outbreak,” CAB president Ghulam Rahman said at the briefing.

Consequently, lower and middle-income consumers suffered most in the year, he said.

According to the CAB, the prices of rice increased by 20.57 per cent in 2020 compared with the prices in 2019.

The prices of pulse rose by 14.18 per cent, edible oil by 8.97 per cent, fishes by 7.13 per cent, meat by 10.49 per cent, chicken by 10.83 per cent and prices of vegetables increased by 9.88 per cent in the year, the report said.