Official Statistics: Month-on-Month 0.4 Per Cent Deflation for January 2015

Sofia, February 13 (BTA) - The National Statistical Institute
(NSI) Friday reported a 0.4 per cent deflation for January 2015
compared to December 2014 according to preliminary data. The
annual inflation in January 2015 compared to January 2014 was
-1.0 per cent.

In January 2015 prices of the following goods and services
increased, month on month; food and non-alcoholic beverages 0.8
per cent, recreation and culture 0.8 per cent, education 0.1 per
cent, restaurants and hotels 0.5 per cent, and miscellaneous
goods and service 0.1 per cent. Three groups of goods and
services cheapened: clothing and footwear by 2.9 per cent, the
prices of furnishings, household equipment and routine
maintenance of the house by 0.1 per cent, and health services by
0.1 per cent. The prices of housing (rentals, maintenance and
repair), water, electricity, gas and other fuels and of
communications were unchanged.

According to the preliminary data of the NSI, the harmonized
index of consumer prices (HICP) in January 2015 compared to
December 2014 was 99.3 per cent, i.e. the monthly inflation was
- 0.7 per cent. The annual inflation in January 2015 compared to
January 2014 was - 2.3 per cent. The annual average inflation,
measured by HICP, in the period from February 2014 to January
2015 compared to the previous 12 months was - 1.7 per cent.

The HICP of five consumer groups increased in January 2015 from
December 2014: alcoholic beverages and tobacco by 0.2 per cent,
recreation and culture by 0.8 per cent, education by 0.2 per
cent, restaurants and hotels by 1.6 per cent, and miscellaneous
goods and services by 0.1 per cent. The HICP of another two
consumer groups marked a decrease, month on month: clothing and
footwear by 2.4 per cent, and transport by 5.4 per cent. The
HICP of housing (rentals, maintenance and repair), water,
electricity, gas and other fuels, of furnishings, household
equipment and routine maintenance of the house, of health and of
communications were unchanged from the previous month.