Bulgaria annual CPI records 2.3% inflation in September
Bulgaria’s annual consumer price index (CPI) recorded 2.3 per cent inflation in September, down from 2.9 per cent in August, with prices shrinking by 0.3 per cent on a monthly basis, according to data released by the National Statistical Institute (NSI) on October 14.
In monthly terms, it was only the third time the monthly CPI figure showed deflation in the previous 12 months, with eight months of inflation and one month of zero growth.
Food prices were 0.6 per cent higher compared to August and non-food prices increased by 0.2 per cent, while services prices were 2.2 per cent lower. Compared to September 2018, food prices were 4.1 per cent higher, with non-food prices shrinking by 0.1 per cent, while services prices rose by 2.6 per cent.
The harmonised CPI figure, calculated by NSI for comparison with European Union data, declined by 1.2 per cent on a monthly basis, while the annual harmonised CPI inflation in September was 1.6 per cent, down from three per cent a month earlier.
Food and beverage prices were 4.3 per cent up, on an annual basis, while the price of utilities and housing increased by 3.7 per cent and transportation costs were 2.3 per cent lower compared to a year earlier. The three categories account for about 48.3 per cent of the harmonised CPI basket.
(Photo: svilen001/sxc.hu)
