Inflation rises in August. According to what Istat reports by distributing the final data, the national consumer price index for the entire community, including tobacco, records an increase of 0,4% compared to the previous month and by 3,2% compared to August 2011 (it was +3,1% in July). The final figure confirms the provisional estimate. The acquired inflation for 2012 rises to 3,0%. Core inflation, calculated net of energy goods and unprocessed foodstuffs, fell to 2,1% (from 2,2% in July).
Last month, the acceleration of inflation is due to the cyclical increase in the prices of non-regulated energy goods (+3,3%) which determines a strong acceleration of their growth rate (13,2% from 10,5% in July). The cyclical rise in the prices of non-regulated energy goods is mainly explained by the increase in the prices of all fuels: the price of petrol increases by 3,6% on the previous month, so that the trend growth rate rises to 15,1% ( significantly accelerating from 12,5% in July). The price of diesel for means of transport marks an increase on a monthly basis of 4,4% and grows on an annual basis of 17,5% (from 14,2% in the previous month).
Net of energy goods alone, the growth rate of the consumer price index rises to 2,2% (+2,3% in the previous month). Compared to a year earlier, the growth rate of the prices of goods rose to 3,9%, from 3,8% in the previous month, and that of the prices of services rose to 2,3% (it was +2,0% in July). As a result, the inflation differential between goods and services narrows by two tenths of a point compared to July.
The harmonized index of consumer prices (Ipca) recorded a zero change compared to the previous month and an increase of 3,3% on the corresponding one in 2011 (the preliminary estimate was +3,5%), with a deceleration of three tenths percentage point compared to July 2012 (+3,6%). The Ipca index with constant taxation (Ipca-Tc) is unchanged on a cyclical level and up by 2,4% on a trend basis. The national consumer price index for blue-collar and white-collar households (Foi), net of tobacco, increased by 0,5% on a monthly basis and by 3,1% on an annual basis.
Increase your shopping cart in August. Last month, according to the final data released by Istat, the prices of the products most frequently purchased by consumers increased on a monthly basis by 0,3% and the growth rate on an annual basis rose to 4,2% (+4 % in July). The final figure is slightly lower than the estimates which had shown an increase of 4,3%.
