Bulgaria’s annual inflation up to 0.5% in April
Bulgaria’s consumer price index (CPI) rose by 0.7 per cent in April, marking the third consecutive month of price growth. The annual figure showed 0.5 per cent inflation, making April the second month in positive territory after 19 months in which year-on-year CPI recorded deflation, data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI) showed on May 13.
Food prices rose by 1.3 per cent in April and non-food prices were one per cent higher, while services prices were down 0.4 per cent compared to March. In annual terms, services prices were the main driver of inflation, rising by 2.7 per cent compared to April 2014, and food prices were 1.5 per cent higher, while non-food prices were 2.5 per cent lower.
The harmonised CPI figure, calculated by NSI for comparison with European Union data, rose by 0.5 per cent in April, but the annual harmonised CPI remained in deflationary territory for the 21st consecutive month, having shrunk by 0.9 per cent compared to April 2014.
Food and beverage prices were 1.6 per cent up, on an annual basis, and the price of utilities and rent has increased by 5.1 per cent, while transportation costs were down 8.2 per cent compared to a year earlier. The three categories account for just over half of the harmonised consumer price index.
(Photo: svilen001/sxc.hu)
