ROME (Reuters) -Italian EU-harmonised consumer prices (HICP) fell a preliminary 1.0% month-on-month in July, with annual inflation slightly decelerating to 1.7%, data showed on Thursday.
The reading for the year-on-year rate was just above a median forecast in a Reuters survey of 17 analysts, which pointed to an increase of 1.6%, whereas the monthly rate was in line with the Reuters consensus.
Official statistics agency ISTAT also reported that the main domestic price index (NIC), was up 0.4% on the month
and up 1.7% annually in July, the same year-on-year rate as in June.
Core inflation (net of fresh food and energy) was running at 2.1% year-on-year on the HICP index in July, stable from the month before.
ISTAT gave the following preliminary breakdown:
July June May
The EU-harmonised index (HICP):
Monthly change -1.0 +0.2 -0.1
Year-on-year inflation +1.7 +1.8 +1.7
Index (base 2015=100) 123.9 125.1 124.8
The NIC index:
Monthly change +0.4 +0.2 -0.1
Year-on-year inflation +1.7 +1.7 +1.6
Index (base 2015=100) 123.2 122.7 122.5
(Reporting by Antonella Cinelli, editing by Giselda Vagnoni)
