BUDAPEST, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's 2018 inflation rate averaged 2.8 percent, lower than the official target of 3.0 percent but up from the 2.4 percent average of 2017, according to a statement published here by the Central Statistics Office (KSH) on Tuesday.
"Inflation in Hungary slowed to 2.7 percent year-on-year in December from 3.1 percent in November, and stood at 2.8 percent on average for the whole of 2018," KSH said.
"In 2018, compared to 2017, consumer prices rose by 2.8 percent on average, within which food prices grew by 4.2 percent," KSH added.
"The highest price rise of 5.6 percent was recorded for alcoholic beverages and tobacco. The price of miscellaneous goods went up by 3.8 percent, services prices by 1.6 percent, the price of electricity, gas and other fuels by 1.4 percent and that of clothing and footwear by 0.5 percent on average. Consumers paid 0.4 percent less for consumer durables."
From November to December, prices fell by 0.3 percent, after a similar drop from October to November.
The Hungarian government expects the consumer price index to remain below 3.0 percent in 2019 as well.
