A 55-year rollercoaster ride

On May 19th official statisticians announced that Britain entered deflation in April, with consumer prices standing 0.1% lower than a year earlier. It is first time since 1960 that annual inflation has been negative. Back then, prices pepped up again quickly. The Bank of England expects a similar rebound this time, on the basis that the recent fall in the price of food and fuel will be a one-off. But for inflation to return to the bank’s 2% target, sustained growth in wages is necessary. That means the bank is keeping a close eye on inflation expectations; if Britons start accepting lower pay rises on account of stagnant prices, deflation could persist.