Romania's national inflation rate up in February, consumer prices gain 0.2 pct

Romania’s national inflation rate up in February, consumer prices gain 0.2 pct

Romania’s national inflation rate continued to increase in February, with the consumer prices going up by 0.2 percent, compared with February 2016, due to increase in the food products by 1.43 percent, according to the data published on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

„In February 2017, the share of merchandise and services that registered a drop in prices, compared with February 2016, is 24.4 percent, while those which had increases between 0-2.5 percent have a share of 57 percent. The products and services whose prices went up by more than 2.5 percent have a share of 18.6 percent,” according to a release of INS sent to Agerpres.

The average increase in consumer prices in the last 12 months (March 2016-February 2017) compared with the previous 12 months (March 2015-February 2016), based on consumer price index is 1.1 percent. Based on the harmonized index of consumer prices, the average rate is 0.7 percent.

The National Bank of Romania (BNR) estimates an inflation of 0.2 percent at the end of March, with pontenial movements of +/-0.5 percent, according to the data of the institution.