TBILISI, DFWatch – The inflation rate fell to minus 2.1% in February, as an estimate for year as a whole.

This the first deflation since August 2009. The drop is mainly due to falling prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages.

According to figures released March 2 by the Georgian National Statistics Department, prices in February increased with 0.2% compared to the previous month.

The rise was mainly due to increased prices for fuel and hotels, cafes and restaurant.

Compared to February 2011, prices for food, non-alcohol beverages and communication services decreased with 7.1 and 7.7 per cent. The prices for transport services increased with 21.1%, comparing to the same period the year before.