Inflation swings - here's what's getting more expensive and what's dropping in price

The overall inflation rate leapt to 2.3% last month, driven by changes in the cost of household energy, air travel and food favourites such as pizza and crisps – though some everyday items saw a fall in prices, including petrol and cleaning equipment.

The most significant shift was in the cost of energy supplies. While the average price of gas fell in the year to October by 7.3%, this was a much smaller drop than the fall of 22.8% in the year to September, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Similarly, the price of electricity was down year-on-year by 6.3% in October, following a much bigger fall of 19.5% in September. This shrinking of the year-on-year change in energy prices reflects the recent increase in household . Another big factor in the overall rise in inflation last month was the cost of air travel, which swung from a drop of 5% in the 12 months to September to a sharp rise of 6.6% in the year to October.

A handful of food staples have also swung from negative to positive annual inflation: pizza and quiches, which saw average prices down 3.3% in the year to September then up 4.1% in October; butter (down 0.2% in September, up 5.4% in October); and crisps (down 2.2% in September, up 2.5% in October).

There were several instances of inflation speeding up last month, including the average cost of hotels and other accommodation (rising 2.2% in the year to September, and 5.3% in October); passenger train travel (increasing 3.1% in September, and 4.7% in October); women’s clothes (climbing 2.4% in September, and 3.2% in October); and fruit and vegetable juices (jumping 4.4% in September, and 7.0% in October). However, not all prices are on the rise.

Some items switched from positive to negative annual inflation last month, such as margarine and other vegetable fats, where the average price fell year-on-year by 6.0% after rising 1.7% in September; cleaning equipment (up 4.3% in September, down 4.0% in October); breakfast cereals (up 2.8% in September, down 1.1% in October); and pasta and couscous (up 0.9% in September, down 2.8% in October). There were also cases of prices falling faster in October than September.

The average cost of petrol dropped by 13.6% in the year to October, a larger decrease than the fall of 10.9% in the year to September. Diesel followed a similar trend, down by 14.2% last month compared with a drop of 9.9% in September.

Cookers, washing machines and irons all saw a bigger annual drop in price in October than in the previous month. Annual inflation eased for coffee, up just 0.6% last month following a rise of 4.1% in September; for children’s shoes, up 1.0% compared with 3.7% in September; and for bus or coach travel, up 4.7% compared with 6.4%.

Below is a list of examples of how the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate has either accelerated or eased.

Two figures are listed for each item: the average rise in price in the 12 months to September, followed by the average rise in price in the 12 months to October.

– Examples where inflation has accelerated, ranked by the size of the change:

Passenger travel by air: September down 5.0%, October up 6.6%

Purchase of pets: Sep down 3.4%, Oct up 4.5%

Pizza & quiche: Sep down 3.3%, Oct up 4.1%

Butter: Sep down 0.2%, Oct up 5.4%

Crisps: Sep down 2.2, Oct up 2.5%

Hotels & and similar accommodation: Sep up 2.2%, Oct up 5.3%

Fruit & vegetable juices: Sep up 4.4%, Oct up 7.0%

Plants & flowers: Sep down 1.4%, Oct up 0.8%

Fabrics & curtains: Sep up 3.3%, Oct up 5.0%

Passenger transport by train: Sep up 3.1%, Oct up 4.7%

Women’s clothes: Sep up 2.4, Oct up 3.2%

Dried fruit and nuts: Sep up 5.1%, Oct up 5.8%

Men’s clothes: Sep up 0.7%, Oct up 1.1%

Eggs: Sep up 1.3%, Oct up 1.7%

– Examples where inflation has eased

Cleaning equipment: Sep up 4.3%, Oct down 4.0%

Margarine & other vegetable fats: Sep up 1.7%, Oct down 6.0%

Irons: Sep down 3.9%, Oct down 10.4%

Diesel: Sep down 9.9%, Oct down 14.2%

Breakfast cereals: Sep up 2.8%, Oct down 1.1%

Pasta & couscous: Sep up 0.9%, Oct down 2.8%

Coffee: Sep up 4.1%, Oct up 0.6%

Washing/drying machines: Sep up 0.9%, Oct down 2.0%

Children’s footwear: Sep up 3.7%, Oct up 1.0%

Petrol: Sep down 10.9%, Oct down 13.6%

Potatoes: Sep up 6.7%, Oct up 4.3%

Mineral or spring waters: Sep up 4.4%, Oct up 2.2%

Cookers: Sep down 1.3%, Oct down 3.2%

Passenger travel by bus and coach: Sep up 6.4%, Oct up 4.7%

Tea: Sep up 6.2%, Oct up 4.7%

Bread: Sep up 1.6%, Oct up 1.0%