Bulgaria annual CPI records 1.7% inflation in February
Bulgaria’s annual consumer price index (CPI) recorded 1.7 per cent inflation in February, but prices were flat on a monthly basis, according to data released by the National Statistical Institute (NSI) on March 14.
The annual inflation figure was the highest recorded since June 2013, rising from 1.3 per cent recorded in January.
In monthly terms, it was the fifth time in the past year that consumer prices remained unchanged, with food prices up by 0.2 per cent in February, while the non-food and services prices each declined by 0.1 per cent.
Compared to February 2016, food prices were 3.6 per cent higher, while non-food prices grew by 2.3 per cent and services prices shrank by 1.2 per cent.
The harmonised CPI figure, calculated by NSI for comparison with European Union data, were also flat in February, while the annual harmonised CPI was up 0.9 per cent – the second consecutive month it recorded inflation after 41 months in deflationary territory.
Food and beverage prices were 3.6 per cent up, on an annual basis, while the price of utilities and housing increased by 0.4 per cent and transportation costs were 1.7 per cent higher compared to a year earlier. The three categories account for about 48 per cent of the harmonised CPI basket.
(Photo: svilen001/sxc.hu)
