Bulgaria annual CPI records 0.5% deflation in February
Bulgaria’s consumer price index (CPI) recorded 0.5 per cent annual deflation in February, while the monthly data showed CPI shrinking by 0.3 per cent after two consecutive months of flat growth, data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI) showed on March 14.
Food prices rose by 0.4 per cent in February, while services prices were 0.3 per cent lower than in January and non-food prices fell by 1.2 per cent. In annual terms, food prices were 0.2 per cent lower than in February 2015, while non-food prices were down 0.7 per cent and services prices shrank by 0.9 per cent.
The harmonised CPI figure, calculated by NSI for comparison with European Union data, was 0.5 per cent down on a monthly basis, with the annual harmonised CPI remaining in deflationary territory for the 31st consecutive month, having shrunk by one per cent compared to February 2015.
Food and beverage prices were 0.1 per cent down, on an annual basis, while the price of utilities and housing has decreased by 1.3 per cent and transportation costs were 5.3 per cent lower compared to a year earlier. The three categories account for about 47 per cent of the harmonised CPI basket.
(Photo: svilen001/sxc.hu)
