Consumer prices in December decreased by 0.2% compared with November. This development came primarily from price decline in âfood and non-alcoholic beveragesâ. The year-on-year growth of consumer prices amounted to 2.3% in December, which was 0.4 percentage points down on November. It was the lowest year-on-year price growth since December 2018. The average inflation rate for 2020 as a whole was 3.2%.
Month-on-month comparison:
Price decrease in âfood and non-alcoholic beveragesâ came mainly from lower prices of vegetables by 9.4%. Prices of yoghurts went down by 5.8%, pork by 1.3%, eggs by 3.5%, cheese and curd by 0.8%. In âclothing and footwearâ, prices of garments were lower by 1.8%.
Month-on-month increase in the overall consumer price level in December came from price rise in âalcoholic beverages, tobaccoâ, where prices of tobacco products were higher by 1.5% and spirits by 0.9%. In âtransportâ, prices of automotive fuels and lubricants increased by 0.9%. In food, mainly prices of potatoes were higher by 5.0% and UHT semi-skimmed milk by 2.5%.
Prices of goods in total went down by 0.4%, whereas prices of services went up by 0.2%.
Year-on-year comparison:
Consumer prices increased by 2.3% in December, i.e. 0.4 percentage points down on November. This slowdown in the year-on-year price growth came mainly from prices in âfood and non-alcoholic beveragesâ. Prices of vegetables turned from growth by 6.8% in November into decline by 7.2% in December, prices of pork were lower by 6.8% (decrease by 2.6% in November), eggs by 5.2% (decrease by 1.2% in November), sugar by 1.8% (decrease by 0.6% in November). In âclothing and footwearâ, prise rise of garments slowed down to 2.4% (4.3% in November). Deceleration of year-on-year price rise occurred in âhousing, water, electricity, gas and other fuelsâ, due to prices of electricity, which were higher by 2.5% in December (3.3% in November). In âalcoholic beverages and tobaccoâ price rise of spirits accelerated to 5.4% (3.3% in November) and tobacco products to 16.4% (14.8% in November).
The biggest influence on the growth of the year-on-year price level in December came, as before, from prices in âalcoholic beverages and tobaccoâ (increase by 10.7%). Next in order of influence were prices in âhousing, water, electricity, gas and other fuelsâ, where prices of actual rentals were higher by 2.0%, water supply by 1.7%, sewage collection by 1.5%. Prices of natural gas were lower by 3.9%, year-on-year. In ârestaurants and hotelsâ, prices of catering services increased by 4.7%. A reduction in the overall price level in December came from prices in âfood and non-alcoholic beveragesâ (decrease by 0.1%) and âcommunicationsâ (decrease by 1.2%).
Prices of goods in total and services went up (2.0% and 2.8%, respectively). The overall consumer price index excluding imputed rentals for housing was 102.4%, year-on-year.
The average inflation rate as measured by the increase in the average consumer price index in the twelve months 2020 compared with the average CPI in the twelve months 2019 was 3.2%, i.e. 0.4 percentage points up on 2019. It was the highest average inflation rate since 2012. Prices of goods in total and prices of services rose identically by 3.2%
