Italian inflation stayed at 4.1% in August, a 12-year-high for the third straight month, Istat said Monday.
The definitive figure was 0.1% higher than a provisional report last month which indicated a rate of 4.0% due to slight drops in the energy and food hikes that have driven inflation this year.
However, Monday's report confirmed those drops, apart from pasta.
With oil prices finally down, the price of petrol at the pump showed a yearly rise of 10.5% compared to 13.1% in July.
The yearly rise for diesel fell from 31.4% in July to 23.8% in August.
But the recent rise in oil prices meant that the cost of air travel showed a massive gain of 40.7% compared to August 2007.
The rise in bread prices slowed slightly but pasta continued to edge up. Both are still at record highs.
Pasta was 25.6% dearer over the year to August, compared to a 24.7% year-on-year rise in July.
Bread showed a 12.2% hike in August compared to a 12.9% year-on-year hike in July.
Inflation is still more than double what it was a year ago and has hovered between 3% and 4% all year.
The following table shows the inflation trend over the last 12 months:
August 2007 +1.6%
September +1.7%
October +2.1%
November +2.4%
December +2.6%
January 2008 +3.0%
February +2.9%
March +3.3%
April +3.3%
May +3.6%
June +3.8%
July +4.1%
August +4.1%
