Italian EU-harmonised consumer prices (HICP) rose a preliminary 0.1% month-on-month in February, with annual inflation stable at 0.9%, data showed on Friday. The HICP was just below the median forecast of a 1.0% year-on-year rise in a Reuters survey of 11 analysts. Official statistics agency ISTAT also reported that the main domestic price index (NIC), was up 0.1% on the month, with the annual rate stable at 0.8%.

Core inflation (net of fresh food and energy) was running at 2.7% year-on-year on the HICP index in February, down from +3.0% in January. ISTAT gave the following preliminary breakdown: The EU-harmonised index (HICP): Feb Jan Dec Monthly change 0.1 -1.1 0.2 Yr/yr inflation 0.9 0.9 0.5 Index (base 2015=100) 120.5 120.4 121.7 The NIC index: Monthly change 0.1 0.3 0.2 Yr-on-yr inflation 0.8 0.8 0.6 Index (base 2015=100) 120.2 120.1 119.7 ISTAT gave the following sector-by-sector breakdown for the HICP in February: Sector m/m yr/yr Food -0.1 4.1 Alcoholic drinks, tobacco 1.6 2.6 Clothing -1.5 2.0 Housing, electricity, fuel -2.0 -11.8 Domestic goods -0.2 1.2 Health spending 0.2 2.1 Transport 1.4 1.6 Communications -0.3 -5.5 Recreation 0.5 1.2 Education 0.0 2.0 Hotels, restaurants 0.5 4.1 Other goods, services 0.1 2.9 (Reporting by Antonella Cinelli, editing by Gavin Jones)