Romania’s Jan CPI +1.68% On Month, +5.2% On Year

The inflation came above analysts’ estimations, who predicted a monthly rise of 1.2% to 1.4% in January. The analysts expected the annual rate to widen to 5% at the most.

Non-food prices rose 3.2% in January compared with a month earlier, due mainly to 13.87% higher tobacco and cigarette prices. Fuel and electricity prices were up 3.42% and 4.2% on the month, respectively.

Food and services prices rose by 0.43% and 0.36% on the month, respectively.

The harmonized index of consumer prices, or HICP, stood at 5.4% at the end of January, from 5.6% the month before.

In December 2009, Romanian CPI rose 0.32% on the month, on higher tobacco and food prices, while the annual inflation widened to 4.74%, above the central bank’s upper end target band.

The central targeted an annual inflation of 3.5% at the end of December, with one percentage point variation band around the target. A similar goal was set for the end of 2010.