Annual inflation dropped from 0.8% in January and 2.7% a year ago. Prices of services increased by 1.7% in 12 months, while prices of goods dropped 0.6%.

The biggest annual increase in prices was recorded for alcohol and tobacco (2.7%). The statistical group of miscellaneous goods and services was up 1.7%, while the groups of food and non-alcoholic beverages and hospitality services both increased by 0.9%.

Prices in the group of food and non-alcoholic beverages and the prices of alcohol and tobacco pushed inflation up by 0.2 percentage points (pp) each.

While hikes were recorded in prices of eggs, milk and dairy (3.6%) and bread and cereals (2.5%), drops were recorded in the prices of vegetables (2.6%) and fruit (1.5%).

A 6.4% increase in utility services pushed annual inflation up by 0.2 pp.

The biggest annual drop in prices of goods was recorded for clothes and footwear (-3.2%), communication (-1.3%), transport (-0.9%), housing equipment (-0.5%), health (-0.4%) and education (-0.2%).

A drop in the prices of oil derivatives pushed annual inflation down 0.4pp in February, as fuel and lubricants decreased by 6.1% and liquid fuel was down 4.2%. The decrease in prices of clothes and footwear dragged inflation down 0.2pp.

On monthly level, the prices of clothes and footwear contributed 0.2pp to February inflation (clothes were up 3.4% and footwear by 1.9%). A 5.3% increase in the prices of flowers pushed inflation up another 0.1pp.

One of the highest increases in prices was recorded in sports and recreation services (4.2%), sewerage collection (3.8%) and transport services (3.6%).

Cheaper fuels and lubricants (-1.1%) and vegetables (-3.7%), on the other hand, dragged inflation down 0.1pp each.

Measured with the harmonised index of consumer prices, an EU gauge, the annual inflation rate in February was 0.2%.