Preliminary data published by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) showed that in June, consumer prices rose by 0.8% per year after a similar increase in May. Economists also expected growth of 1.0% per annum. Price growth has slowed of unprocessed foods (from +2.2% to +0.4%), of services related to recreation, including repair and personal care (from +4.3% to +4.0%) and of durable goods (from -0.7% to -1.1%). On the contrary, the prices of non-regulated energy products (from -13.5% to -10.3%), of regulated energy products (from +0.7% to +3.6%) and of processed food (including alcohol and tobacco) (from +1.8% to +2.2%) have increased.
ISTAT said that the core CPI - excluding energy and unprocessed foods - rose by 2.0% per year, as in May. CPI growth excluding energy slowed to 1.9% per annum from 2.0% per annum in May.
On a monthly basis, the CPI rose 0.1% after an increase of 0.2% in May. Economists had expected an increase of 0.2%.
The data also showed that in June, the harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) - an indicator that allows to compare inflation in Italy with inflation in European countries - rose by 0.2% on a monthly basis and by 0.9% per year. In May, HICP increased by 0.2% over the month and by 0.8% per annum.