Electricity tops price increases in July 2025, with a nearly 63pct surge

 Electricity, fresh fruits, fruit and tinned fruit top the list of price increases recorded in July 2025 compared to the same month last year, according to data published on Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).Electricity prices rose by 62.97pct, fresh fruits by 39.74pct, while fruit and tinned fruit by 27.92pct.Food goods increased by an average of 7.67pct in July 2025 compared to July 2024. The largest price rises were recorded for fresh fruits (39.74pct), fruit and tinned fruit (27.92pct), and citrus and other southern fruit (17.32pct). In the same period, sugar prices declined by 3.08pct and potatoes by 2.38pct.Compared to June 2025, the biggest price increases in July were for cocoa and coffee (1.19pct), coffee (1.09pct), and citrus and other southern fruit (0.94pct). On the other hand, potatoes were 6.95pct cheaper in July 2025 compared to the previous month, beans and other leguminous plants were down 1.14pct, while vegetables and tinned vegetable fell by 0.73pct.In the non-food goods category, in July 2025 compared to July 2024, the largest price increases were in electricity, up 62.97pct, heat energy, up 13.63pct, knitwear, up 7.36pct and other non-food goods, also up 7.36pct. Gas prices declined by 1.06pct and fuels by 0.09pct.Compared to the previous month, in July 2025, electricity prices increased by 61.57pct, gas by 3.27pct, while tobacco and cigarettes recorded a rise of 0.91pct. According to the INS data, there were no price decreases in this category.In the services sector, over the past year, the highest increases were in rail transport tariffs, up 16.92pct, hygiene and cosmetics, up 14.06pct and postal services, up 12.15pct. On the other hand, air transport services decreased by 9.75pct and telephone services dropped by 3.05pct.In July 2025, compared to the previous month, price increases were recorded for air transport, up 7.58pct, other services, up 2.65pct and interurban transport (other transport types), up 2.18pct. Price decreases were recorded only for television subscriptions, down 0.17pct.Romania's annual inflation rate increased to 7.84 pct in July 2025, from 5.7 pct in June, as food goods became more expensive by 7.67pct, services by 7.33pct and non-food goods by 8.18pct, according to the INS data published on Tuesday.