Inflation is still rising. From January to February, as communicated by Istat, the rate grew from 3,2% to 3,3% year-on-year. The increase is mainly due to the rise in prices on a monthly basis, which was 0,4%.
Core inflation though, calculated net of energy goods and fresh food, it drops to 2,2% from 2,3% in January 2012.
“The slight acceleration in inflation – explains Istat – derives from the increase in the trend growth rate of goods prices (+4,2%, from +3,9% in January 2012), only partly offset by the drop in services (+2,2%, from +2,3% in the previous month). As a consequence of these trends, the inflationary differential between goods and services increases by four tenths of a point compared to the month of January”.
In particular they are the prices of the products purchased most frequently to undergo the strongest price increases, increasing by 0,7% on a monthly basis and by 4,5% on an annual basis (+4,2% in January), which represents a record since 2008.
