Bermuda’s inflation rate edged down in June, as consumers paid 1.7 per cent more for goods and services than they did a year earlier, according to the latest Consumer Price Index released by the Department of Statistics.

The annual rate represents a slight decrease of 0.1 percentage points from May’s 1.8 per cent, continuing a gradual cooling trend in price growth across most spending categories.

Among the major contributors to annual inflation were fuel and power, up 5.7 per cent, health and personal care, up 3.8 per cent, rent, up 2.4 per cent, and food, up 1.4 per cent.

The education, recreation, entertainment and reading division also advanced 0.7 per cent year-over-year.

Month-to-month, the average cost of goods and services in June was unchanged from May.

Within that period, food prices rose 1.1 per cent, driven by higher prices for select grocery items, while health and personal care increased 0.1 per cent.

Rent was up 0.1 per cent, and fuel and power costs held steady.

The Consumer Price Index measures the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for a fixed basket of goods and services, reflecting changes in the cost of living.