Romania’s Oct CPI + 0.44% On Mo, +4.3% On Yr

Service prices in October rose 0.9% from the previous month, while non-food prices were up 0.5% on the month. Food prices nudged up 0.2% in October compared with the month earlier.

Cigarettes and tobacco prices rose 1.2% on the month in October, the highest increase in the non-food sector. Prices with other services posted the biggest monthly increase in the services category, of 3.5%.

The harmonized index of consumer prices, or HICP, stood at 5.9% at the end of October, from 6.2% the month before.

In September, Romanian consumer prices rose 0.39% on the month, on higher non-food and service prices.

Compared with the end of 2008, Romania’s consumer price index was up 3.72% in October.

In January to October period, service prices rose 6.98%, non-food prices increased by 5.96%, while the food prices fell 0.37%.

Last week, Romania’s central bank revised its forecast on the 2009 annual inflation rate to 4.5% from 4.3% previously estimated.