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Press release

Consumer prices

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In February 2017, the Italian consumer price index for the whole nation (NIC) increased by 0.4% on monthly basis and by 1.6% with respect to February 2016 (the flash estimate was +1.5%), up from +1.0% in January 2017.

The increase, in February, of the annual rate of change of All items index, was mainly due to the speed-up of the annual growth of prices of Unprocessed food (+8.8%, from +5.3% in January) and of Non-regulated energy products (+12.1%, from +9.0% in the previous month). Other contributions were brought by Services related to transport (+2.4%, from +1.0% in January) and by Regulated energy products (-1.6%, from -2.8% in the previous month).

Therefore, excluding energy and unprocessed food, core inflation slightly increased (+0.6% from +0.5% in January); excluding energy the inflation was +1.3%, from +0.8% in the previous month.

The annual rate of change of prices of Goods was +2.0% (up from +1.2% in January) and the
annual rate of change of prices of Services was +0.9% (up from +0.7% in the previous month). As a consequence, the negative inflationary gap between Services and Goods increased with respect to January (-1.1 percentage points, from -0.5 in January).

The increase on monthly basis of All items index was mainly due to the rise of prices of Unprocessed food (+3.0%), of Regulated and Non-regulated energy products (respectively +1.1% and +0.5%) and of Services related to transport (+1.0%).

Prices of Grocery and unprocessed food increased by 1.1% on monthly basis and by 3.1% on annual basis (from +1.9% in the previous month).

In February 2017, the rate of change of Italian harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) increased by 0.2% with respect to the previous month and by 1.6% with respect to February 2016 (the annual rate of change observed in January was +1.0%).The flash estimate was confirmed.

Core inflation measured by Italian HICP was +0.6% and inflation excluding Energy, food,
alcohol and tobacco was +0.7% (both up from +0.5% in January); inflation excluding Energy was +1.3% (0.4 percentage points higher than in the previous month).

In February 2017, the Italian harmonized index of consumer prices at constant tax rates (HICP-CT) increased by 0.1% compared with the previous month and by 1.5% with respect to February 2016 (0.1 lower than HICP). Therefore, the difference between HICP and HICP-CT growth rates – which incorporates the effects of changes in indirect taxes occurred in the last twelve months – ,that was null for three consecutive months, turned positive and equal to 0.1.

Note. On 15th June 2017 the press release has been amended to reflect the revisions of Division “Recreation and culture” in occasion of the estimation of back data of Italian harmonized consumer price index (HICP) according to the new ECOICOP classification.

Reference period: February 2017

Date of Issue: 15 March 2017

Next release: 31 March 2017

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