A month earlier, the annual rate was 1.06%, the statistics institute INS said.
Consumer prices rose 0.3% in February over the previous month, after a 0.85% decline in January. Food and non-food prices each increased by 0.3% on the month in February, while service prices advanced 0.5%, the data showed.
Romanians paid by 2.2% more for fresh and canned vegetables in February compared with a month earlier, while fresh fruit prices increased 1.97%.
Tobacco and cigarette prices increased 0.9% on the month, while furniture prices inched up 0.6%. Healthcare services were around 2% more expensive, the data showed.
Romania’s harmonized index of consumer prices, or HICP, fell to 2.6% at the end of February, from 3.6% the month before.
The central bank last month revised upward its year-end inflation forecast to 3.5% this year from 3% previously, citing upside pressure from higher excise duties and a newly announced tax on fuels, as well as external uncertainties.
The bank expects the annual rate will slow to historical lows of 0.6%-0.7% in the first quarter of 2014 before returning inside the bank’s target range of 1.5%-3.5%.