Bulgaria's consumer price inflation slowed to the lowest level in seven months in February, data released by the National Statistical Institute showed Wednesday.

Inflation as per the consumer price index decelerated to 3.6 percent in February from 4.4 percent in January. The latest figure was the lowest since July 2012, when the index rose 3.1 percent.

Prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages climbed 5.2 percent annually, while costs of clothing and footwear decreased by 1.6 percent. There was an 8.3 percent increase in housing costs and utility prices during the month, and a 1.5 percent gain in transportation expenses, data showed.

Month-on-month, consumer prices edged up 0.1 percent in February, slower than January's 0.4 percent increase.

The harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP), measured under the EU methodology, rose 2.2 percent annually, after growing 2.6 percent in the previous month.

Sequentially, the HICP advanced 0.2 percent in February, as it did in the previous month, the agency said.

RTTNews