2019.03.1408:20:00UTC+00France Inflation Rises In February

France consumer price inflation rose for the first time in seven months in February, final figures from the statistical office INSEE showed on Thursday.

The consumer price index rose 1.3 percent year-on-year in February, after a 1.2 percent rise in January, was in line with the flash data.

The rise in inflation was due to an acceleration in energy and food prices, which was partly offset by a slowdown in services prices and a higher decrease in manufactured products.

On a month-on-month basis, consumer prices were stable in February, after rising 0.2 percent in January. That was in line with the preliminary estimate.

Core inflation was 0.7 percent in February, where it has been since November.

The EU measure, the harmonized index of consumer prices, or HICP, rose 1.6 percent annually in February, following a 1.4 percent rise in the previous month. The acceleration was the first in five months.

On a monthly basis, the HICP edged up 0.1 percent in February, after falling 0.6 percent in the prior month.