MACAO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Macao's composite consumer price index (CPI) in May 2018 increased by 2.97 percent year-on-year to 112.44, slightly higher than the growth of 2.88 percent in April, the special administrative region's statistic service said here on Thursday.

The latest report from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) showed that the increment in May was attributable to dearer charges for eating out, higher rentals for dwellings and parking meter rates, as well as rising prices of gasoline and women's clothing and footwear.

Price indices of Clothing and Footwear, Transport, and Health went up by 6.68 percent, 6.07 percent and 4.90 percent respectively year-on-year, while the index of Communication decreased markedly by 7.80 percent.

The Composite CPI in May also increased by 0.37 percent on monthly basis. Price indices of Clothing and Footwear, Health, and Transport grew by 2.59 percent, 1.34 percent and 0.61 percent on account of new arrival of women's summer clothing and footwear, rising charges for in-patient and out-patient services, as well as higher prices of gasoline.

However, receding prices of vegetables and fresh pork tapered off part of the increase. Lower prices of gold jewelry and other items pushed down the price index of Miscellaneous Goods and Services by 0.26 percent.