Belarus had highest rise in consumer prices in post-Soviet region in first quarter

Belarus had the highest rise in consumer prices among the post-Soviet countries in the first quarter of 2009, according to a BelaPAN survey of the countries' official data.

Belarus reportedly had an increase in consumer prices of 6.1 percent in the period. Ukraine was second with 5.9 percent. Russia was third with 5.4 percent and Latvia was fourth with 3.5 percent.

Consumer prices rose by three percent in Lithuania, two percent in Kazakhstan, 1.2 percent in Tajikistan, 0.7 percent in Armenia, and 0.4 percent in Kyrgyzstan.

Consumer prices reportedly fell by 0.4 percent in Georgia, 1.4 percent in Estonia, 1.8 percent in Moldova, and 2.1 percent in Azerbaijan.
In March, Belarus ranked fifth in terms of inflation with 0.6 percent, after Armenia and Ukraine with 1.4 percent, Russia with 1.3 percent, and Kazakhstan with 0.8 percent. In the third month of the year, consumer prices rose by 0.5 percent in Tajikistan and 0.2 percent in Latvia, did not change in Lithuania, and fell by 0.4 percent in Georgia and Kyrgyzstan, 0.5 percent in Estonia, 0.7 percent in Azerbaijan, and 0.8 percent in Moldova.

No data were available for Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.