Cyprus has recorded deflation for the sixth consecutive month, with prices falling 0.3% in October compared to a year earlier, the Consumer Protection Service said.
The October Consumer Price Observatory shows inflation has steadily eased from -0.9% in July and August to -0.7% in September and -0.3% last month, according to the service.
The observatory tracks average weighted prices for 250 basic products across 400 retail shops throughout Cyprus.
Services posted the biggest annual increase at 3%, whilst petroleum products dropped 7.5%, agricultural goods fell 2.6% and electricity declined 2%, the data shows. Electricity prices rose 1.7% compared to September, whilst agricultural products stayed flat.
Of 45 categories of basic goods, 33 recorded modest increases below 3% year-on-year, whilst 18 saw price cuts of up to 16%. Eleven categories showed monthly decreases, and one remained unchanged.
Products that rose in price from September included evaporated and condensed milk, up 6.5%; frozen shellfish and mollusks, up 6.2%; and instant coffee, up 3.5%. Fresh vegetables climbed 3%, baby milk rose 2.7%, and cooking oil increased 2.5%.
Fresh meat prices dropped 3.4% from September, frozen fish fell 2.3%, and rice declined 2.1%. Bulgur wheat and tomato paste both dropped 1.5%, sugar fell 1.2%, and tinned fish decreased 1.1%.
The e-kalathi platform now compares 257 common products across seven major supermarkets, up from 228 previously. The price gap between the most and least expensive supermarkets reached €153.68 on 19 November, compared to €147.05 on 15 October.
A basket of 257 common products costs €1,090 at the most expensive supermarket and €936.50 at the cheapest, according to the platform.
The service urged consumers to use e-kalathi tools to make informed purchasing decisions. It reminded shoppers that price observatories provide guidance only and do not replace personal market research.
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