Bulgaria's consumer price inflation decelerated to the lowest level in nine months in March, data released by the National Statistical Institute showed Friday.

Inflation as per the consumer price index eased to 2.7 percent in March from 3.6 percent in February. The latest figure was the lowest since June 2012, when the index moved up 1.6 percent.

Driving the slowdown, food and non-alcoholic beverages prices advanced at a slower rate of 4.9 percent year-on-year than 5.2 percent in February. Housing costs and utility prices increased at a notably slower rate of 4.8 percent than the previous month's 8.3 percent gain.

Meanwhile, costs of clothing and footwear and transportation expenses recorded declines of 1 percent and 0.3 percent respectively from a year earlier.

Month-on-month, consumer prices edged down 0.5 percent in March, reversing the previous month's 0.1 percent increase.

At the same time, the harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP), measured under the EU methodology, increased 1.6 percent year-on-year in March after rising 2.2 percent in February. Month-on-month, the HICP decreased 0.4 percent, reversing the previous month's 0.2 percent rise.

RTTNews