Bahrain's statistics office released the following March consumer price data.

BAHRAIN CONSUMER INFLATION 3/182/183/17
pct change month/month0.50.70.9
pct change year/year 2.63.10.8

NOTE: Housing and utility costs, which account for 24 percent of consumer expenses, rose 1.7 percent from a year earlier in March. Prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which account for 16 percent, gained 1.5 percent, easing from a 3.8 percent annual rise in February. Transport prices jumped 7.6 percent after a hike of domestic gasoline prices in early January.

(Reporting by Andrew Torchia Editing by Gareth Jones) ((andrew.torchia@thomsonreuters.com; +9715 6681 7277; Reuters Messaging: andrew.torchia.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))