Moldova’s central bank held its key rate at 6.0%. The country’s annual inflation rate declined by 1.1 pp in August to 9.7%, slightly exceeding the anticipated rate by 0.2 pp, mainly due to rising fuel prices, driven by a greater-than-expected surge in crude oil costs. However, the central bank noted that disinflationary pressures that began in mid-2022 and the appreciation of the Moldovan leu since early 2023 are mitigating these factors. The central bank aims for a 5.0% inflation rate.