Fruit, vegetables and cigarettes price increase push up yearly inflation to 3.99% in July

The consumer price index (CPI), measuring inflation, rose 0.29 percent in July against June. Prices for foodstuff rose 0.56 percent against the previous month while prices for non-food products saw a 0.44 percent increase. Tariffs for services went down in the seventh month of the year by 0.67 percent against June.

Fresh fruit saw the steepest price increase of 7.78 percent in July against June. Prices for vegetables and cans climbed 2.59 percent. Fresh fruit prices saw a 3.20 percent hike in July compared to the previous month, INS said. Cigarettes prices rose 4.24 in July against June, following an increase in excises.

The drop in prices for services was caused mostly by a decline of prices for telephone services (3.38 percent) and air transportation (2.9 percent). The average yearly inflation stood in July at 4.4 percent below the 4.6 percent in June, according to INS. Core inflation climbed 0.34 in July.