Italy: Inflation increases in March
According to provisional data released by the National Statistical Institute (Istat) on 30 March, consumer prices rose 0.4% on a monthly basis in March, up from February’s flat reading. The figure mainly reflected higher prices for processed food including alcohol, and for tobacco and services related to transport—which were affected by seasonal factors. Meanwhile, inflation came in at 0.9% in March, above the previous month’s 0.5% print.
Core consumer prices, which exclude more volatile categories such as unprocessed food and energy, grew 0.5% in March month-on-month, following February’s softer 0.1% rise. Consequently, core inflation was 0.9% in March, up from February’s 0.6%. Finally, harmonized inflation came in at 1.1%, above February’s 0.7%.