Georgia, Tbilisi, March 7 / Trend N. Kirtskhalia /
According to the Georgian Statistics Service, consumer price index increased by 2,1 percent in January compared to December 2010.
A similar figure was 1.1 percent in January last year, the National Bank of the country told Trend.
As a result, the annual inflation rate increased from 11.2 percent fixed the previous month, up to 12.3 percent in January 2011. The index of the average annual inflation for the period increased by 0,8 percentage points, reaching 7.9 percent.
The growth was caused mainly by a rise in price on food in January, compared to December last year. In particular, prices on potatoes sharply increased. The prices on sugar, cucumbers, onions, cabbage, apples, meat, cheese and greens increased in January, compared to the previous month. Taking into account seasonal factors, consumer prices on green beans, grapes, and several kinds of fruit increased. However, prices on citrus, including oranges and lemons declined.
The prices on all food groups increased in January. But the highest growth rates were fixed in the following categories: vegetables - 11,7 percent, fruits, grapes - 8 percent, sugar and confectionery products - 6.2 percent.
During the reporting period, the rise in prices on the following food groups - milk, cheese, eggs, fish and meat and meat products amounted to 3,7, 1,9 and 1,6 percent respectively.