Compared to January of 2016, cost of food increased by 17.8 percent following 17.4 percent in December (namely for bread and cereals; meat, oil and fats, and fish) while prices of imported food increased slightly less (21 percent from 21.1 percent). Additional upward pressure came from: housing and utilities (27.2 percent, at the same pace as in December); education (21 percent from 21.6 percent); clothing and footwear (17.9 percent from +18.8 percent); furnishings and household equipment (13.9 percent from 13.6 percent) and transport (17.2 percent from 17.3 percent).
Annual core inflation rate edged down to 17.85 percent from 18.03 percent in the previous month.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices went up 1.01 percent compared with a 1.06 percent rise in the previous month, as cost rose for: food (+1.3 percent); imported food (+0.9 percent); housing and utilities (+0.6 percent); and clothing and footwear (+0.9 percent).