Consumer price index (CPI)
The consumer price index in October 2012 compared to September 2012 was 100.3%, i.e. the monthly inflation was 0.3%. The inflation rate since the beginning of the year (October 2012 compared to December 2011) had been 4.0% and the annual inflation in October 2012 compared to October 2011 was 4.4% .
The annual average inflation, measured by CPI, in the last 12 months (November 2011 - October 2012) compared to the previous 12 months (November 2010 - October 2011) was 2.8%.
In October 2012 compared to the previous month the prices of goods and services in the main consumer groups changed as follows:
• Food and non-alcoholic beverages - an increase of 0.3%;
• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco - the prices remained at the level of the previous month;
• Clothing and footwear - an increase of 4.7%;
• Housing (rentals, maintenance and repair), water, electricity, gas and other fuels - an increase of 0.4%;
• Furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house - an increase of 0.5%;
• Health - a decrease of 0.8%;
• Transport - a decrease of 1.7%=
Harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP)
The harmonized index of consumer prices in October 2012 compared to September 2012 was 99.9%, i.e. the monthly inflation was -0.1%. The group ‘Transport’ had the biggest downward impact on the total HICP that measures the change in prices of the goods and services, consumed by all households (including foreign households) on the economic territory of the country. Differences between CPI and HICP are due to different coverage of the HICP and CPI in respect of treatment of the consumption by both non-resident and institutional households.
The inflation rate since the beginning of the year (October 2012 compared to December 2011) had been 2.7% and the annual inflation in October 2012 compared to October 2011 was 3.0%
The annual average inflation, measured by HICP, in the last 12 months (November 2011 - October 2012) compared to the previous 12 months (November 2010 - October 2011) was 2.3%.
In terms of HICP in October 2012 compared to the previous month the prices of goods and services in the main consumer groups changed as follows:
• Food and non-alcoholic beverages - an increase of 0.3%;
• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco - the prices remained at the level of the previous month;
• Clothing and footwear - an increase of 4.1%;
• Housing (rentals, maintenance and repair), water, electricity, gas and other fuels - an increase of 0.2%;
• Furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house - an increase of 0.2%;
• Health - a decrease of 0.6%;
• Transport - a decrease of 1.8%.
Source: National Statistical Institute