Retail prices keep dropping

Deflationary pressures persisted for another month in April, with Consumer Price Index data published by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) on Friday again showing a negative reading – at 1.3 percent – compared with a year earlier, the same as in March.

The prices for most commodities in the categories of food, apparel, services, catering and consumer durable goods ranging from TV sets to cars posted a decline compared with April 2013, with the exception of dairy products, eggs, air tickets, road toll charges, electricity rates and tobacco products.

The category with the greatest decline in prices features various services and saw a decrease thanks to the drop in charges at hairdressers and in the prices of personal hygiene products.

There was an increase of 0.9 percent in the alcoholic beverages and tobacco category and a 2.2 percent rise in healthcare owing to the increase in the share of the payment for medicines that consumers must now cover.