Bulgaria CPI records 0.4% deflation in 2015
Bulgaria’s consumer price index (CPI) recorded 0.4 per cent deflation in 2015, while monthly data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI), released on January 14, showed that prices remained flat in December.
Overall, this was the second month of 2015 with no changes in CPI, with four months of price growth and six months of price declines in the past year. The annual figure briefly spiked in spring, reaching 0.8 per cent growth, but the annual CPI was in deflation territory in six out of 12 months and the 12-month rolling average showed 0.1 per cent deflation in 2015.
Food prices fell by 0.5 per cent in December and non-food prices were 0.2 per cent lower than in November, while services prices rose by 0.9 per cent. In annual terms, food prices were 0.5 per cent higher compared to December 2014, while non-food prices were 1.3 per cent lower and services prices were 0.7 per cent down.
The harmonised CPI figure, calculated by NSI for comparison with European Union data, was 0.4 per cent higher on a monthly basis, but the annual harmonised CPI remained in deflation territory for the 29th consecutive month, having shrunk by 0.9 per cent compared to December 2014.
Food and beverage prices were 0.8 per cent up, on an annual basis, while the price of utilities and rent has decreased by 1.5 per cent and transportation costs were 7.1 per cent lower compared to a year earlier. The three categories account for half of the harmonised consumer price index.
(Photo: svilen001/sxc.hu)
