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December Inflation Shock at 42.1% Adds to Zimbabwe's Woes

December Inflation Shock at 42.1% Adds to Zimbabwe's Woes

(Bloomberg) -- Zimbabwean consumer prices rose at a new post-hyperinflation record pace in December, adding to the economic woes of a country that’s reeling from foreign-exchange and fuel shortages.

Inflation accelerated to 42.1 percent, from 31 percent in the previous month, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency said in a statement emailed Thursday. While that’s well below the 500 billion percent the International Monetary Fund estimated it reached in 2008, there are big price discrepancies depending on whether goods are paid for electronically or with banknotes, casting doubt on the official figure.

December Inflation Shock at 42.1% Adds to Zimbabwe's Woes

The southern African nation was rocked by protests this week as labor unions went on strike and people marched against massive fuel-price increases announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

To contact the reporter on this story: Godfrey Marawanyika in Harare at gmarawanyika@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin at asguazzin@bloomberg.net, Rene Vollgraaff, Pauline Bax

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