Inflation rate in December at 1.04%

In the month under review, the annual rate stood at 1.04 per cent, as shown in Chart 1. A year earlier the annual rate was 2.79 per cent.

The largest upward impact on annual infl  ation was recorded in the Food Index (0.56 percentage points), the Beverages and Tobacco Index (0.39 percentage points) and the Recreation and Culture Index (0.21 percentage points), mainly due to price rises in some vegetable items, cigarettes and audio-visual equipment respectively.

The biggest downward impact was recorded in the Transport and Communication Index (-0.42 percentage points) and the Other Goods and Services Index (-0.07 percentage points), mainly due to price reductions in motor vehicles and jewellery items respectively.

In December 2013, the twelve-month moving average rate was 1.38 per cent.