Singapore Dec inflation likely edged up to 3.85% y-o-y

SINGAPORE - Singapore's inflation likely edged higher to 3.85 per cent year-on-year in December, quickening from November's 3.6 per cent as car prices rose at a faster pace, according to the median estimate of 12 economists polled by Reuters.

Singapore's central bank forecast is for headline inflation to come in slightly above 4.5 per cent in 2012 and to slow in the following year to between 3.5 and 4.5 per cent.

The city-state's inflation averaged 4.6 per cent in the first 11 months of 2012.

Earlier, when the poll involved 10 economists, the median forecast for December inflation was 3.8 per cent year-on-year. With two more economists, the median rose to 3.85 per cent.