Bulgaria's consumer price inflation quickened further in January on the back of higher spending for heating, electricity and transport, data of the statistics office showed on Thursday.

Prices went up by 4.4% on an annual basis in January, after rising 4.2% in December.

On a monthly basis, the consumer price index edged up by 0.4% in January, just the same as the previous month.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages prices climbed 6.9% annually, while clothing and footwear prices decreased 1.9%.

There was a 9.5% annual growth in housing costs and utility prices, and a 2.2% rise in transportation costs in January year-on-year.

Meanwhile the harmonized index of consumer prices, which takes into account the consumption of foreigners in the country and is measured under the EU methodology, increased by 2.6% on an annual basis in January and edged up 0.2% on a monthly basis.

The government has forecast that inflation, calculated using European Union methodology, will accelerate 3.4% in 2013.

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