2012.04.2607:38:00UTC+00Malta Producer Prices Continue To Fall

Output prices in Malta decreased at a faster rate in March, driven mainly by a sharp fall in intermediate goods prices, data released by the National Statistics Office showed Thursday.

The producer price index declined 5.3 percent on an annual basis in March, faster than the 4.5 percent fall seen in February. Price have fallen for the sixth consecutive month.

Intermediate goods prices plunged 10.1 percent year-on-year, while energy prices remained unchanged. There was a 0.6 percent annual growth in capital goods prices, and a 1.8 percent rise in consumer goods prices during the month.

Output prices of goods meant for the overseas market fell 8.9 percent annually, while prices in the domestic market rose 0.5 percent.

Month-on-month, output prices moved up 0.4 percent in March, slower than the 0.8 percent growth seen in the previous month.