The growth of consumer prices in Ukraine in March 2023 accelerated to 1.5% from 0.7% in February and 0.8% in January, the State Statistics Service reported on Monday.

At the same time, inflation of 4.5% was recorded in March 2022, therefore, in annual terms, in March 2023 it decreased to 21.3% from 24.9% in February, 26% in January and 26.6% in December.

Underlying inflation also rose to 1.5% last month from 0.5% in February and 0.7% in January, the State Statistics Service said.

Given that in February 2022, underlying inflation was 3.8%, in annual terms it also fell to 20.1% in March from 22.7% in February.

In the consumer market in March, prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 2.2%. Vegetables went up in price the most - by 17.3%. Prices for eggs, soft drinks, meat and meat products, bread, pasta, milk and dairy products, butter, sugar, fruits, fish and fish products increased by 1.8-0.4%. At the same time, prices for rice, grain by-products, sunflower oil, and lard fell by 2.3-0.2%.

Clothes and shoes went up in price - by 12.5%, including clothes by 12.5% and shoes by 12.4%.

The increase in prices in the healthcare sector by 0.6% was primarily due to the increase in the cost of outpatient services by 0.8%.

Transportation prices decreased by 0.9% due to a 3% reduction in the cost of fuel and lubricating oils. At the same time, travel in railway passenger transport, on the contrary, has risen in price - by 5.3%.

As reported, in January, the National Bank of Ukraine improved its inflation forecast for this year from 20.8% to 18.7%, including in the first quarter it expected it to decline to 23.6%, and in the first half of the year - to 18.7%. %.

In March, the government also announced a reduction in the inflation forecast for the current year to 24% from 28%.