Bulgaria's consumer price index (CPI) rose by 0.3 per cent month-on-month in March, taking inflation for the first quarter of the year to 1.4 per cent. In yearly terms, inflation at the end of March was 1.7 per cent compared to the same month of 2011.
Two of the main factors contributing to inflation in March were the sharp jump in the price of eggs ahead of the Eastern Orthodox Easter (24.4 per cent) and the steady increase in the price of fuels, which triggered a similar increase in the price of transportation.
The increase was partially offset by the seasonal decrease in fresh vegetables prices, Bulgaria's National Statistical Institute (NSI) said.
Harmonised inflation, the index calculated by NSI for comparison with the rest of the European Union, was 0.1 per cent month-on-month and 1.7 per cent year-on-year in March.