Bulgarian Inflation Rises To 2.2%, Highest In 5 Months

(RTTNews) - Bulgaria's consumer price inflation accelerated slightly in December to the highest level in five months, data from the National Statistical Institute showed on Wednesday.

The consumer price index, or CPI, climbed 2.2 percent year-over-year in December, after a 2.1 percent rise in November.

Moreover, the latest inflation was the highest since July, when prices had risen 2.4 percent.

The annual price growth in housing and utilities accelerated to 2.8 percent from 2.5 percent. Meanwhile, the decline in transport costs eased to 0.6 percent from 3.4 percent. Both these developments largely pushed the inflation higher in December.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices moved up 0.4 percent in December, slower than the 0.6 percent increase in the prior month.

The average annual inflation rate for the year 2024 was 2.4 percent.

EU-harmonized inflation also rose marginally to 2.1 percent in December from 2.0 percent in November. Month-on-month, the harmonized index of consumer prices, or HICP, increased at a stable rate of 0.3 percent.