Newsroom / CNA
Prices for fresh vegetables and greens skyrocketed in August, rising nearly 50% from the previous month, according to the Consumer Goods Price Observatory released Monday by the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry’s Consumer Protection Service. Despite the sharp month-to-month increase, prices remain down nearly 31% compared with August 2024.
The report highlighted a mixed picture across essential goods. Fresh fish and seafood dropped 13.4% from July, though they are still slightly higher than a year ago, while frozen mollusks and shellfish fell 13% over the same period.
Out of 45 key product categories monitored by the service, 21 recorded price hikes, 21 saw declines, and three — Cypriot coffee, bread, and infant formula — held steady. Twenty-nine of these items are listed on the government’s electronic platform, “e-kalathi,” which tracks consumer prices.
Other items registering monthly increases included LPG cylinders (+4.9%), fresh meat (+3.8%), cooking fats (+2.7%), laundry detergents (+2.4%), instant coffee (+2.3%), toilet paper (+2.2%), flour (+2.0%), fabric softeners (+1.7%) and sanitary pads (+1.1%).
Categories with falling prices included frozen breaded or pre-cooked fish (−3.8%), yogurt (−1.5%), bulgur (−1.5%), cooking oil (−1.4%), baby diapers (−1.2%) and bagels (−1.1%).
The Consumer Protection Service said the figures reflect a continuing slowdown in inflation, which has been negative since May, with deflation rates of −0.2% in May, −0.4% in June, and −0.9% in July and August.
Year-over-year, services experienced the largest price increase (+3.6%), while electricity (−11.6%), petroleum products (−7.3%), and food and non-alcoholic beverages (−3.0%) recorded declines. Agricultural products fell 5.3% over the year but were up 4.4% from July.
Officials emphasized that the observatory is intended to provide information for consumers, not to serve as market advice. They cautioned that product quality may vary and encouraged shoppers to conduct their own research before making purchases.
