[ Italiano ]
Press release

Consumer prices (provisional)

  • Ascolta questa pagina usando ReadSpeaker
  • Condividi
  • Lascia un feedback

In August 2018, according to preliminary estimates, the Italian consumer price index for the whole nation (NIC) increased by 0.5% on monthly basis and by 1.7% compared with August 2017 (+1.5% in July 2018).

The acceleration of the growth on annual basis of All items index was mainly due to prices of Services related to transport (from +1.7% of the previous month to +2.9%) and, to a lesser extent, of Processed food (from +1.8% to +2.3%). The prices of Energy products slowed their growth (from +7.9% of July to +7.6%), as well as those of Unprocessed food (from +3.6% to +3.0%).

Inflation excluding energy and unprocessed food (core inflation) was +0.9% and inflation excluding energy was +1.1% (both in acceleration respectively from +0.7% and +0.9%).

The increase on monthly basis of All items index was mainly due to the rises of prices of Services related to transport (+4.6%) mainly due to seasonal factors.

The annual rate of change of prices of Goods was +2.0% (down from +2.1% in July) and that one of prices of Services was +1.1% (up from +0.9% in the previous month). Therefore the inflationary gap between Services and Goods was still negative and equal to -0.9 percentage points (-1.2 in July).

Prices of Grocery and unprocessed food increased by 0.3% on monthly basis and by 2.4% on annual basis (up from +2.2% in the previous month).

In August 2018, according to preliminary estimates, the Italian harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) decreased by 0.1% compared with the previous month and increased by 1.7% with respect to August 2017 (from +1.9% in July). The decrease on monthly basis was mainly due to the summer sales of Clothing and footwear (-8.9% compared with July 2018), which are not taken into account in the national index NIC.

The slowdown of HICP on annual basis is explained by the trend reversal of Clothing and footwear prices (from + 3.5% in July to -0.7%), caused by a greater impact of the summer sales seasonal balances registered for the whole August, compared to the previous month when they began not before the 7th of July.

Reference period: August 2018

Date of Issue: 31 August 2018

Next release: 14 September 2018

Downloads