Consumer prices in Ukraine, after rising by 1.9% in September, rose by another 1.7% in October, and since the beginning of the year their growth reached 7.4%, the State Statistics Service has reported.

According to the agency, in annual terms (October 2018 from October 2017) inflation increased to 9.5% from 8.9% in September.

Underlying inflation in October 2018 was 1.3% compared with 1.9% in September, and in the first ten months it reached 6.9%. In annual terms, underlying inflation also rose slightly, to 8.8% from 8.7% in September.

According to the statistics department, in October consumer prices of food and nonalcoholic beverages increased 1.4%. Vegetables prices grew the most (by 8.8%). Prices for lard (salo), milk and dairy products, bread, eggs, pasta, cereals, butter, rice, fish and fish products increased by 4.4-1.1%. At the same time, fruits fell by 4.6%, and sugar fell by 2.3%.

Prices for alcoholic beverages and tobacco products increased by 2.3%, including alcoholic beverages - by 3.2%, tobacco products - by 1.6%.

The increase in prices (tariffs) for housing, water, electricity, gas and other types of fuel by 0.6% was mainly due to the increase in tariffs for sewage by 5.2%, water supply by 4.8%, maintenance of houses and adjacent territories - 1.4%.

The increase in prices for transport in general by 3.1% is mainly caused by the rise in price of fuel and oils by 6%, as well as transport services by 2.4%.

In the field of communications, prices rose by 3.3%, which is associated with a rise in price of postal services by 9.4% and mobile communications by 6.9%.

As reported, inflation in Ukraine in 2017 accelerated to 13.7% compared to 12.4% in 2016, which, however, is significantly lower than in the previous years, namely 43.3% in 2015, and 24.9% in 2014.