According to the State Bureau of Statistics (DZS) first estimate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), released on 30 August, in August 2024, Croatia's inflation rate slowed to 1.8%, the lowest since March 2021, continuing a trend of decreasing inflation on a yearly basis, Croatian media report. Meanwhile, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), reported on Friday that Croatia's inflation rate, measured by the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 3%, higher than the eurozone average of 2.2%.The DZS data showed that the inflation rate in Croatia, measured by the CPI, was 1.8% on a yearly basis in August 2024 compared to August 2023, while it increased by 0.1% compared to July 2024. This continued the multi-month trend of slowing inflation on a yearly basis.Following 3.7% in April, 3.3% in May, 2.4% in June, and 2.2% in July, inflation has continued its trend of slowing on a yearly basis, with the August consumer price increase of 1.8% being the lowest since March 2021, when it was 1.2%.When considering the main components of the index, the estimated annual inflation rate for services is 5.9%, for the group including food, beverages, and tobacco it is 2.3%, for non-energy industrial products it is 0.5%, while a decline of 3.7% was recorded for energy, according to the DZS data.On a monthly basis, compared to July 2024, prices in the services component increased by 0.8%, and prices for food, beverages, and tobacco rose by 0.6%. At the same time, according to the first estimate, prices for energy and non-energy industrial products fell by 0.9% each.The DZS also informed that the final data on the consumer price index for August, according to the European Classification of Individual Consumption according to Purpose (ECOICOP) classification, will be published on 17 September.Meanwhile, according to the first estimate released on Friday by Eurostat, the annual inflation rate in August, measured by the HICP in Croatia, was 3%.Across the entire eurozone, the average annual inflation rate in August was 2.2%. Higher inflation rates than Croatia were recorded in Belgium, 4.5%, Estonia, 3.4%, the Netherlands, 3.3%, Slovakia, 3.2%, and Greece, 3.1%. Other eurozone member states had lower inflation rates than Croatia. (ICE ZAGABRIA)

Fonte notizia: HRT and Jutarnji.hr online edition 30/8/2024