Italian consumer price index increased by 0.3% in March

According to preliminary estimates from Istat, in March 2019 the Italian consumer price index for the whole nation (NIC) increased by 0.3% on monthly basis and by 1.0% with respect to March 2018, the same as in the previous month.

The stability of inflation was the result of opposite movements. The acceleration of prices of Non-regulated energy products (from +0.8% to +3.3%) were offset by the slowdown of prices of Unprocessed food (from +3.7% to +2.0%), of Services related to transport (from +0.9% to +0.4%) and of Tobacco (from +4.5% to +4.0%).

The core inflation excluding energy and unprocessed food was +0.5% (up from +0.4% in February 2019) and inflation excluding energy was +0.7% (stable compared to the previous month).

In March 2019, according to preliminary estimates, the Italian harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) increased by 2.3% on monthly basis and by 1.1% with respect to March 2018, the same as in the previous month. The wide increase on monthly basis was mainly due to the conclusion of winter sales of Clothing and footwear, which are not taken into account in the national index NIC.