Itay's year-on-year inflation rate held at 1.6% in August with the consumer price index rising 0.2% over the previous month, national statistics bureau Istat said based on its definitive data for the month.
Inflation in Italy was thus below the average in the euro zone, which stood at 1.8% in August.
Should this year's inflation trend continue, Istat observed, 2007 will have an annual inflation rate of 1.7%.
The greatest year-on-year price hikes in August were for restaurants and bars (+3.2%), furniture and home furnishings (+2.7%), food an non-alcoholic beverages (+2.4%) and alcoholic and tobacco products (+2.3%).
Communication costs from August to August tumbled 8.4%, prices for entertainment, sports and cultural events fell 1% and costs for health services dipped 0.1%.
The following table shows the monthly variation in Istat's cost of living index and the annual inflation rate since January 2006.
monthly % var. annual % var.
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JANUARY 2006 +0.2 +2.2
FEBRUARY +0.2 +2.1
MARCH +0.2 +2.1
APRIL +0.3 +2.2
MAY +0.3 +2.2
JUNE +0.1 +2.3
JULY +0.3 +2.2
AUGUST +0.2 +2.2
SEPTEMBER -0.1 +2.1
OCTOBER -0.1 +1.8
NOVEMBER +0.1 +1.8
DECEMBER +0.1 +1.9
JANUARY 2007 +0.1 +1.7
FEBRUARY +0.4 +1.9
MARCH +0.2 +1.7
APRIL +0.2 +1.5
MAY +0.4 +1.6
JUNE +0.2 +1.7
JULY +0.2 +1.6
AUGUST +0.2 +1.6.
