The Italian inflation rate jumped to a three-year high in November, statistics agency Istat said on Friday.
On the basis of preliminary estimates, the year-on-year rate rose to 2.4% in November from 2.1% in October, Istat said
The 2.4% rate was the highest since June 2004.
Prices rose by 0.4% from October to November.
The year-on-year hike was largely due to a steep climb in the price of food staples like bread (up 12.4%) and pasta (up 7.7%). Overall, food prices were 3.4% up over the year.
Fuel and energy prices continued to play a large part also.
Energy prices rose by 5.1% with the price of petrol 9.8% higher than November 2006 and diesel 11.2% up over the year.
Communication costs continued to tumble after last month's 9.9% drop.
They were the only drop in the November index, falling by a further 8.1% in the year to November.
The following table shows the monthly variation in Istat's cost of living index and the annual inflation rate since September 2006.
monthly % var. annual % var.
-------------------------------------------------------------
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
SEPTEMBER 0.0 +1.7
OCTOBER +0.3 +2.1
NOVEMBER +0.4* +2.4*
* provisional
