Belarus Second in Inflation Rate Among European, Post-Soviet States in July, 2012
31.08.2012 / 17:22
Prices increase faster only in Bulgaria.
Belarus had the second highest inflation rate in July, 2012, among the European and post-Soviet nations, reported the National Statistical Committee (Belstat).
Belarus had the highest increase in consumer prices in the Europe and the post-Soviet region in each of the first six months of the year except January, when it had the second highest inflation after Hungary.
In July, consumer prices reportedly has risen by 1.3 percent in Belarus against 1.5 percent in Bulgaria, 1.2 percent in Russia, 0.4 percent in Germany, 0.3 percent in Kazakhstan, 0.2 percent in Estonia and 0.1 percent in Italy.
Consumer prices has not changed in Lithuania and Slovakia and fell by 0.1 percent in Hungary, Ireland and the Czech Republic, 0.2 percent in Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and Finland, and 0.5 percent in Norway, Latvia and Poland.
According to Belstat, Belarus ranked second in terms of the increase in food prices, which rose in July by one percent in the Russian Federation, 0.9 percent in Belarus and Estonia, 0.8 percent in Norway, 0.6 percent in Bulgaria, 0.4 percent in Turkey, 0.2 percent in Finland, and 0.1 percent in Ireland.
Food prices did not change in Kazakhstan and fell by 0.2 percent in Lithuania and Spain, 0.3 percent in Hungary, 0.5 percent in Ukraine and Slovakia, 0.7 percent in Germany, 0.9 percent in Italy and Latvia, 1.6 percent in the Czech Republic and two percent in Poland.
Consumer prices soared by 108.7 percent in Belarus last year. The government initially projected inflation to slow down to 19 to 22 percent in 2012, but Aliaksandr Lukashenka directed in February that the government should revise its inflation projection for the year downward to 13 to 15 percent.
In the first seven month of the year, consumer prices rose by 12 percent, according to Belstat.