In June, consumer prices in Ukraine rose by 1.1 percent, doubling from 0.5 percent inflation recorded in May and bringing total inflation from January through June to 8.6 percent, just one percentage point short of the government’s annual target, figures released on July 7 by the State Statistics Committee show.
In June, the prices for foodstuffs and alcohol-free drinks in June rose by 0.1 percent, housing and public utility services by 4.1 percent, prices for services linked to the health care fell by 0.1 percent, and transport prices rose by 3 percent.
Ukraine posted the highest rate of inflation in Europe last year, with consumer prices rising by 22.3 percent. Inflation in Ukraine had been rising for several years, in part due to surging costs for Russian natural gas. Ukraine posted 16.6 percent inflation in 2007 and 11.6 percent in 2006.
