ZAGREB, 15 April (Hina) – Croatia’s annual inflation rate in March 2025, measured by the national Consumer Price Index, stood at 3.2%, while prices rose by an average of 0.4% compared with February, according to revised data published on Tuesday by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS).

This marks the second consecutive month of a slowdown in annual price growth.

The months-long trend of slowing inflation was interrupted in October 2024, when prices grew year on year by 2.2%, followed by increases of 2.8% in November, 3.4% in December and 4.0% in January 2025. However, in February 2025, inflation began to decline again, falling to 3.7%, and the downward trend continued into March.

Broken down by the main ECOICOP classification groups, the sharpest annual increase in consumer prices in March was recorded in the restaurants and hotels category, which rose by 9.4%.

Prices also increased in recreation and culture, and miscellaneous goods and services (both up 5.7%), health (5.4%), education (5.3%), and food and non-alcoholic beverages (4.7%).

Prices in the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels category were 4.5% higher year-on-year, while prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco rose by 2.6%.

Price increases were moderated by decreases in the clothing and footwear category (-2.7%) and in communications (-1.3%).

Prices of goods and services for personal consumption, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), were on average 4.3% higher in March 2025 than in March 2024, and 0.4% higher compared with February.

The HICP data shows that Croatia continues to have one of the highest inflation rates in the euro area.