Inflation climbed to 3.3% in December 2017, compared to the same month in 2016, as fuel prices up 6% and electricity prices grew by about 12%, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The two items have an important share in the formation of gross prices. The price of gas was higher by only 1.4%, and of the thermal energy went up by 3.2%.
On the other hand, eggs, butter and fresh fruit had the most important raise in prices in foods category in December 2017 compared to the previous month of the same year, while in the non-food goods category, the most important price increases were recorded in the case of fuels, reveals INS data.
Thus, in December 2017, eggs price increased by 6.72% compared to the previous month and by by 43.19%, compared to December 2016; the butter price wnet up by 2.65% (+22.77% compared to December 2016), and fresh fruit price surged by 1.32% (+11.06% when compared to December 2016). Also, the price of vegetables and preserved vegetables increased by 1.54% and that of potatoes by 1.32%.
On the non-food commodity segment, fuel prices rose in December 2017 by 1.02% over the previous month and by 5.85% as compared to December 2016, that of refrigerators and freezers by 0.75%, washing machines and gas tanks with 0.73%, and tobacco and cigarettes by 0.24% (+5.52% versus December 2016).
In the services sector, more significant price increases were recorded in December 2017 in the case of airline tickets – 2.04% compared to November 2017, and 23.29%, compared to December 2016.
In December 2017, the annual inflation rate climbed to 3.3%, from 3.23% in November, amid a 0.44% increase in food commodities and 0.28% in non-food items, according to the National Institute of Statistics.
The National Bank of Romania (BNR) revised the 2.7% inflation forecast for the end of 2017, up from 1.9% previously, according to Agerpres.
For the end of 2018, the BNR estimates an inflation rate of 3.2%, similar to the previous forecast, and for the end of the third semester of 2019, an inflation rate of 3.1% is expected.