February inflation 0.7%, 7.5% annually

The Slovak consumer price index grew by 0.7 percent in February, putting the year-on-year inflation rate at 7.5 percent, the ŠÚSR announced on March 11. The February monthly figure is an improvement over January's 1.9 percent, but in annual terms, inflation grew to 7.5 percent from the 7.2 percent recorded in January. In monthly terms, prices of foodstuffs and soft drinks (1.2 percent), alcohol and tobacco products (1.3 percent) grew the most rapidly, while prices of transportation and education were the most stagnant at 0.1 percent. In annual terms, alcohol and tobacco products (12.2 percent) and healthcare (13.7 percent) soared the most, while transportation became 3.9 percent more expensive, and education became 8.7 percent cheaper.