Annual Inflation Slows To 5.6% In February

Belstat has published inflation data for February. Monthly inflation amounted to 0.6%, which is 0.1 percentage points higher than in January. At the same time, the annual inflation rate slowed from 6.4% to 5.6%. This is likely related to the increase in housing and utility tariffs that was postponed until 1 March.

Since the beginning of the year, the consumer price index has increased by 1%.

Core inflation, which excludes changes in prices for seasonal and regulated goods and services, amounted to 0.5% in February, the same as in January, and reached 0.8% since the beginning of the year.

In February compared with January, food prices increased by 0.8%, non-food goods by 0.2%, and services by 0.7%.

Since the start of the year, food prices have risen by 1.4%, non-food goods by 0.3%, and service tariffs by 1.4%.

Over the past year, prices for food products increased by 8.7%, non-food goods by 2.1%, and service tariffs by 5.4%.

The inflation target for 2026 is set at no more than 7%.