Bulgarian consumer prices rose by 3.1 per cent between July 2007 and August, and by 12 per cent between august 2006 and august 2007,  a report by the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said.

Inflation in August 2007 was mainly caused by a rise in food prices, which went up by 7.3 per cent over that month. Prices of services increased by 0.3 per cent and non-food products prices remained largely unchanged in August.

Accumulated inflation for the first half of 2007 was 7.5 per cent.

In July 2007 food prices in Bulgaria had risen by 3.9 per cent, causing annual inflation to rise to 8.4 per cent on a 12-month basis.

By the end of 2006 inflation was 6.5 per cent and the Bulgarian government promised to lower inflation in 2007 to 4.4 per cent.