THE GROWTH rate of consumer prices in Slovakia in October this year accelerated slightly. According to the Statistics Office, the annual inflation rate measured by the national consumer price index was 3.8 percent, compared to 3.6 percent in September. Over the first ten months compared to the same period of 2011, consumer prices increased in total by 3.7 percent. Month-on-month, consumer prices increased in October by 0.3 percent.
The highest year-on-year price growth in October was in transport, by 7.5 percent. Education prices rose by 6 percent, the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 5.8 percent and prices in health care went up by 5.7 percent. For alcoholic beverages and tobacco, prices rose by 4.2 percent and by 3.9 percent for miscellaneous goods and services. Prices in hotels, cafés and restaurants grew by 3.5 percent, for housing, supply of water, electricity, gas and other fuels by 3 percent, for recreation and culture by 2.4 percent and for clothing and footwear by 1.7 percent.
Annualised core inflation, which monitors consumer prices excluding regulated prices and administrative interventions in the field of taxation rose slightly to 3.2 percent in October, from 3.1 percent in September. Net inflation, which disregards food prices, remained at 2.6 percent for September. On a monthly basis, core inflation in October was 0.3 percent, while net inflation reached 0.2 percent.
