The annual inflation rate eased to 2.4% in March, from 2.59% a month earlier, the statistics institute INS said.
It said food prices fell 0.94% year-on-year in March, while non-food items slowed down their price growth to 3.93%, from an annual increase of 4.13% in the previous month. However, service prices rose by 5.4% in March, from a growth of 4.84% in February.
Monthly inflation climbed 0.42% in March, on higher prices in all sectors, INS data showed.
Food prices increased 0.6% on the month, while non-food and services prices inched up 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively.
Romanians paid by 13.5% more for eggs in March compared with a month earlier, while the cost fresh and canned vegetables advanced 1.8%.
In the non-food sector, fuel prices advanced 1% on the month, while the price of healthcare services was up 0.6%, the data showed.
Romania’s harmonized index of consumer prices, or HICP, fell to 4.6% at the end of March, from 5.1% 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. The bank recently revised upward its year-end forecast to 3.2% from 3%, citing a less favorable base effect than previously estimated.