Fruit stand.
Fruit stand.Israel news photo: Flash 90

The consumer price index rose 0.4% in May, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. The rise had been predicted by analysts and did not come as a surprise.

Most of the price rises were in fresh fruit, which rose 10.5%; shoes and clothing, which rose 2.8%; housing, which went up by 0.7% and transportation, which rose 0.3%.

Prices for health services, meanwhile, went down by 0.5%. Food prices dipped 0.3%.

The general index has risen by a total of 0.4% since the beginning of the year. Excluding energy costs, the index rose by 0.5. The index excluding fruits and vegetables rose by 0.3%, while the index excluding housing was unchanged from the start of the year.

In the last 12 months (the period from May 2009 to May 2010), the general index and the index without fruits and vegetables have risen by 3% each. Excluding energy, the index rose 2.7%, and excluding housing, it rose 2.5%.