The Central Bank said that it estimated that inflation would be below three percent in 2009. Last year, the average inflation reached around 10.5 percent. The decline is in line with inflation levels around the world.

The Consumer Price Index registered a 13 percent increase in the prices of apparel, an 11 percent increase in the prices of personal care and jewelry, a nine percent rise in the cost of healthcare, a four percent rise in the prices of food and beverages, and a three percent increase in the cost of housing. Education costs and the prices of durable goods remained unchanged during that period.