BUCHAREST: Romanian consumer prices fell a slightly more than expected 0.9 percent on the year in December, compared with November's 1.1 percent fall, data from the National Statistics Board showed on Wednesday.

The central bank had estimated inflation would fall 0.7 percent at end-2015, while the median forecast of a Reuters poll of analysts 0.8 percent.

The central bank targets inflation at 1.5-3.5 percent, but it expected negative inflation last year and for the first part of 2016, driven by cuts in value added tax and other levies.

Data showed prices edged up 0.1 percent on the month in December, with food prices up 0.2 percent, non-food down 0.1 percent and services rising 0.4 percent.

Copyright Reuters, 2016