Croatia Inflation Slows Sharply In October

(RTTNews) - Croatia's consumer price inflation eased markedly in October to its lowest level in five months amid slower increase in food and energy prices, preliminary data from the statistical office showed Friday.

The flash consumer price index rose 3.6 percent year-on-year following a 4.2 percent increase in September, data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics revealed. Latest inflation rate was the lowest since May when prices rose 3.5 percent.

Services costs were 6.4 percent higher from a year ago. Prices in the food, beverages and tobacco group rose 4.4 percent. Energy prices increased 3.9 percent. Prices for non-food industrial goods decreased 0.2 percent from the same month last year.

The CPI rose 0.5 percent from the previous month, when it climbed 0.4 percent. Inflation, based on the harmonized index of consumer prices or HICP, slowed to 4.0 percent from 4.6 percent in September. The HICP was 0.2 percent higher from the previous month, when it decreased 0.6 percent.

The CBS is set to release the final CPI data for the month of October on November 15.