In February the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices went up to 113.72 from 112.99 in January.

In February, the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices went up by 0.6% over the previous month. This primarily reflected an increase of 1.5% in the Clothing and Footwear Index due to seasonal price rises in garments. The Restaurants and Hotels Index went up by 1.4% on account of costlier accommodation services. Higher prices of vegetables and fruit underlay an increase of 1.2% in the Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages Index.

The Recreation and Culture Index went up by 0.5%, mainly due to higher fees charged for recreation and sporting services. Higher prices of furniture and fittings caused the Furniture, Household Equipment and Routine Maintenance of the House Index to rise by 0.4%. An increase of 0.3% was registered in the Transport Index, mainly due to higher fuel prices. Higher gas prices caused the Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels Index to go up by 0.2%. A similar increase was registered in the Health Index, mainly as a result of higher fees for dental services. The Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Index edged up by 0.1% due to price increases in alcoholic beverages.

The Miscellaneous Goods and Services Index went down by 0.2%, mainly on account of lower prices for certain financial services.

Inflation rate

In February, the 12-month moving average rate of inflation stood at 2.3%, whereas the annual rate of inflation stood at 2.4%.