The general increase during 2021 was 5.62% as confirmed by the administrative statistics department which showed the results of variation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This figure is 4% above than the one registered in 2020, which was 1.61%.

Regarding the sectors that contribute the most to inflation, in first place is food, which contributed 2,73% to the total variation, followed by lodging, electricity, water, gas and other fuels which contributed 1,22 points of variation, restaurants and hotels, with a contribution of 0,85 percentage points.
The inflation data has several costs that are directly indexed and that will increase in the next days, such as tools, leases, taxes, and school fees.

LEGISLATIVE AND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
Colombia is preparing to elect members of congress on March 13th and president and vice-president on May 29th of this year. The winner for the presidency must obtain half plus one of the total of valid votes, otherwise, a second round will be on June 19th between the two candidates with the highest votes in order to define who will the head of State.

More than twenty Colombians have launched their candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic, only two of them will be the candidates, the rest of the applicants are in an inter-candidate’s consultation to elect one candidate for each alliance.

COVID SITUATION
The Colombian National Institute of Health reported percentage of COVID in the country is dominated by the new wave of infections, especially in areas of Atlantic, Antioquia, Bogota, Bolivar, Cordoba, Magadalena, Quindio and Cauca´s Valley. The Gamma, Delta and Mu variants continue to be the most prevalent in the country, but the Omicron variant has already been detected in the main cities of the country.