(Haaretz) September CPI drops a surprising 0.5 percent

[bemildred]

Consumer prices dropped by 0.5 percent in September
2003 and inflation this year is running at minus
1.5 percent, according to figures released
Wednesday by the Central Bureau of Statistics.

The drop in the CPI was
surprising, as all economic
experts predicted an increase
of between 0.2 and 0.4 percent.


In September the prices in almost all consumer categories
dropped except for housing
prices, which climbed 0.5
percent and food prices, which remained
unchanged.

Haaretz