Food, petrol prices push up inflation

Rising food and pump prices took annual inflation higher in September, surging to 4.0%, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The CPI increased by 1.33 units, reaching 117.67 units, from 116.34 units in August, when the inflation rose to 2.6%.

For the nine months to September, the CPI recorded a 4.0% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

When analysing the economic origin of this inflation, the most substantial positive change, compared to September 2022, was in the category of Agricultural goods, with an increase of 15.2%.

In contrast, the largest change compared to the previous month was monitored in Petroleum products, which saw a 5.1% increase.

The Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages category recorded the most significant positive change, with prices rising by 9.7% compared to 2022.

On the flip side, the category of Communication recorded a negative change of -0.6%.

Compared to the previous month, the largest change was noted in the category of Clothing and Footwear, where prices increased by 7.8%.

For the nine months spanning January to September, compared to the same period last year, the most notable changes were observed in Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (9.1%), Restaurants and Hotels (6.1%), and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels (5.8%).