The Producers Price Index (PPI) for final manufactured goods swelled month-on-month in December, increasing from 5.8% in November to 6.5% for the last month of the year, Statistics South Africa reported on Thursday.

From November to December, the PPI for final manufactured goods – considered the headline PPI – increased by 0.5%.

According to the release, the primary contributors to the yearly rate of 6.5% were food products, beverages and tobacco products, which increased 5.2% year-on-year, and coke, petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products, which increased by 6.8% over the same period.

Transport equipment and metals, machinery, equipment and computing equipment also contributed to the increase, improving by 10.5% and 6.4% respectively.

The main contributor to the monthly increase of 0.5% was coke, petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products, which increased by 1.1% month-on-month.

INTERMEDIATE MANUFACTURED GOODS

Meanwhile, the yearly percentage change in the PPI for intermediate manufactured goods was 8.1% in December, compared with 7.5% in November, while the PPI decreased by 0.4% from November to the last month of the year.

The chief contributors to the yearly rate of 8.1% were chemical, rubber and plastic products, which increased by 9.7% year-on-year, basic and fabricated metals, which increased by 7% over the 12 months and textiles and leather goods, which increased by 14.1% year-on-year.

The main contributors to the monthly decrease of 0.4% were textiles and leather goods, which decreased by 3% month-on-month.

ELECTRICITY AND WATER

The yearly percentage change in the PPI for electricity and water was 14.3% in December, compared with 15.8% in November 2013, with the PPI decreasing by 1.7% from November to December.

The contributors to the yearly rate of 14.3% were electricity, which increased by 15% year-on-year, and water, which increased by 10.5% year-on-year.

The monthly decrease of 1.7% was the result of electricity, which narrowed by 2.1% month-on-month.

MINING

The yearly percentage change in the PPI for mining, meanwhile, was 2.4% in December, compared with 1.4% in November, with the PPI for mining decreasing by 0.8% from November to December.

The main contributors to the yearly rate of 2.4% were nonferrous metal ores, which increased 4.7% year-on-year, and coal and gas, which increased by 8.5% year-on-year.

The main contributors to the monthly decrease of 0.8% were stone quarrying, clay and diamonds, which narrowed by 8.9% month-on-month, and gold and other metal ores, which decreased by 1.9% month-on-month.

AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHING

The yearly percentage change in the PPI for agriculture, forestry and fishing increased from 2.8% in November to 4.1% in December, with the PPI increasing by 1.5% from November to December.

The main contributor to the yearly rate of 4.1% and monthly rate of 1.5% was agriculture, which increased by 3.9% year-on-year and 1.6% month-on-month.