Consumer prices

In April 2013, the Italian consumer price index for the whole nation (NIC) held steady compared with the previous month and increased by 1.1% with respect to April 2012 (0.5 lower than in March 2013) (provisional estimate was 1.2%).
The Italian inflation slowdown was mainly due to downward impact effect of Transport and Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels. The main cause was the decrease of prices of Fuels and lubricants (-2.2% compared with the previous month; -4.1% with respect to April 2012), of Town gas and natural gas (-3.3% on monthly basis; +2.0% on annual basis, down from +7.1% in March 2013) and of Electricity (-0.5% on monthly basis; +5.1% on annual basis, down from +9.5% in March 2013).
Italian core inflation, calculated excluding energy and unprocessed food, was 1.2%, down from 1.4% in March.
Italian consumer price index, excluding energy, increased by 1.3% with respect to April 2012, down from 1.5% in March. In April 2013, the Italian harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) increased by 0.3% compared with the previous month and by 1.3% with respect to April 2012 (0.5 lower than in March 2013. In this case, final data confirmed the preliminary ones).
Core inflation measured by Italian HICP was 1.3%, down from 1.5% in March.  Italian harmonized index of consumer prices, excluding energy, increased by 1.5% with respect to April 2012 (0.2 lower than in March).
In April 2013, the Italian harmonized index of consumer prices at constant tax rates (HICPCT) increased by 0.3% compared with the previous month and by 1.1% with respect to April 2012.