Singapore consumer prices fall for sixth month

SINGAPORE – Singapore's consumer prices fell in September for a sixth month as property prices slumped.

The consumer price index fell 0.4 percent in the 12 months through September after a 0.3 percent drop in the 12 months to August, the statistics department said Friday. Compared to August, September's CPI fell 0.1 percent.

Housing prices in August dropped 2.5 percent from a year earlier, transport and communication fell 0.2 percent and food rose 0.8 percent. Inflation has slowed from a 26-year high in June 2008 of 7.5 percent.

The government said earlier this month it expects inflation to quicken from zero percent this year to between 1 percent and 2 percent next year.