Consumer price index increased in July

Goods were 3.1% and services 2.5% more expensive compared to July of the previous year. Food products were 3.0% and manufactured goods 2.8% more expensive.

Regulated prices of goods and services have risen by 7.6% and non-regulated prices by 1.4% compared to July of the previous year.

Compared to July of the previous year, the index was mainly influenced by the 9.2% price increase of electricity, heat energy and fuels as a whole; by the 14.2% price increase of motor fuel; and by the 2.5% price increase of food, each of which gave one fourth of the total change. Compared to the same period of the previous year, the prices of heating oil, fresh vegetables and milk have increased the most (37.1%, 36.9% and 23.3%, respectively). But flour was 20.6% cheaper this July.

When the 3.5% change of the June 2010 consumer price index compared to that of June 2009 was still influenced by the change in the rate of value added tax from 18% to 20% in July 2009, then in July 2010 this did not influence the 12-month change of the index any longer.

In July compared to June, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by the price increase of food, of which more than one third was given by wide availability of fresh potatoes put on the market and by the sales of clothing and footwear. Fresh cucumber was 32% cheaper than in the previous month.