Bulgaria’s annual inflation slows to 0.4% in June
Bulgaria’s consumer price index (CPI) was up by an annual 0.4 per cent in June after recording 0.9 per cent deflation for the month, the second decline in a row after three consecutive months of consumer price increases, data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI) showed on July 14.
Food prices shrank by 2.2 per cent in June and non-food prices were 0.4 per cent lower, while service prices remained flat compared to May. In annual terms, services prices remained the main driver of CPI growth, rising by 2.6 per cent compared to June 2014, and food prices were 0.5 per cent higher, while non-food prices were two per cent lower.
The harmonised CPI figure, calculated by NSI for comparison with European Union data, were 0.5 per cent lower compared to May, while the annual harmonised CPI remained in deflationary territory for the 23rd consecutive month, down by 0.6 per cent compared to June 2014.
Food and beverage prices were 0.8 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 5.8 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)
