The Harmonised Index of Consumer prices went up by 0.8% last month from January, the NSO said today. The annual rate of inflation rose to 3.5% from 3.1% in January but the 12-month moving average rate of inflation was unchanged at 4.6%.

The NSO said the increase in consumer prices was mostly the result of an increase of 5.6% in the Clothing and Footwear Index as a result of seasonal price rises. Prices also went up for vegetables, medicines, jewellery and restaurant services.

Decreases in the prices of cars caused the transport index to go down by 0.6 percent. The recreation and culture index shed 0.4% owing to lower prices for computers.

Meanwhile, Eurostat said Euro area annual inflation was 1.2% in February 20092, up from 1.1% in January. A year earlier the rate was 3.3%. Monthly inflation was 0.4% in February 2009.

EU annual inflation was 1.7% in February 2009, down from 1.8% in January. A year earlier the rate was 3.5%. Monthly inflation was 0.4% in February 2009.

In February 2009, the lowest annual rates were observed in Ireland and Portugal (both 0.1%) and Cyprus (0.6%), and the highest in Latvia (9.4%), Lithuania (8.5%) and Romania (6.9%). Compared with January 2009, annual inflation fell in eleven Member States, remained stable in two and rose in 13.

The lowest 12-month averages4 up to February 2009 were registered in the Netherlands and Portugal (both 2.2%) and Germany (2.4%), and the highest in Latvia (14.1%), Bulgaria and Lithuania (both 10.8%).