2020.01.1711:11:00UTC+00Italy Inflation As Estimated; Trade Surplus Rises

Italy consumer price inflation increased in December as estimated, final data from the statistical office Istat showed on Friday.

Another report from Istat showed that the trade surplus increased in November, albeit decreases in exports and imports.

The consumer price index rose 0.5 percent year-on-year in December, following a 0.2 percent increase in November. The increase was in line with the initial estimate.

On a month-on-month basis, consumer prices rose 0.2 percent in December, reversing a 0.2 percent fall in the preceding month, as estimated.

On an average, consumer prices increased 0.6 percent in 2019. The rate halved from 1.2 percent logged in 2018, as initially estimated.

The core inflation slowed to 0.5 percent in 2019 from 0.7 percent in 2018, as estimated.

The EU measure or harmonized index or consumer prices, or HICP, rose 0.5 percent in December, following a 0.2 percent increase in the preceding month. This was in line with preliminary estimate.

On a monthly basis, the HICP rose 0.2 percent in December, as estimated.

On an average, HICP inflation halved to 0.6 percent in 2019 from 1.2 percent in 2018.

Separate data showed that the trade surplus increased to EUR 4.872 billion in November from EUR 3.975 billion in the same month last year. In October, the trade surplus was EUR 8.075 billion.

Exports declined 3.2 percent year-on-year in November, after a 4.3 percent rise in October.

At the same time, imports fell 5.9 percent annually in November, following a 5.8 percent decrease in the preceding month.