Annual inflation rate, down to 3.6 pct in January

The annual inflation rate dropped to 3.6 percent in January this year, from 4 percent in December of last year, given that the food stuff prices went up by 4, 75 percent, services by 4.01 percent, and non-food goods by 2.68%, according to data released on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Consumer prices in January 2020 compared to December 2019 increased by 0.4 percent. The average rate of consumer prices in the last 12 months (February 2019 - January 2020) compared to the previous 12 months (February 2018 - January 2019), calculated on the basis of the CPI, is 3.8 percent. The National Bank of Romania has reduced the inflation forecast for 2020 to 3 percent, from 3.1 percent, as previously estimated, the governor of BNR Mugur Isarescu announced on Tuesday.AGERPRES(RO - author: Andreea Marinescu, editor: Mariana Nica; EN - author: Simona Iacob, editor: Maria Voican)