Food items were 0.1% costlier on the month in October, while prices in the non-food and services sectors rose 0.2% and 0.9%, respectively, the statistics institute INS said.
Romanians paid by 4.7% less for fresh and canned vegetables in October compared with September, but edible oil was by 3.5% more expensive.
In the non-food sector, fuel prices edged down 0.6% on the month, the data showed. Air transportation was 1.3% costlier, while other services increased by 2.5% from a month earlier.
Romania’s harmonized index of consumer prices, or HICP, inched up to 3.2% at the end of October, from 3.1% the month before.
The central bank targets an annual inflation of 3% at the end of 2012, plus/minus one percentage point around the band. Last week, the bank revised upward its forecast on the year-end inflation to 5.1% in December, from 3.2% previously, citing increased capital flow volatility and a possible deterioration of the external environment.
The annual rate is expected to stay above the central bank’s target range until the second half of 2013.