Annual inflation rate at 1.6% in September

The annual rate of inflation in September as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices stood at 1.6%. In September of last year, the annual rate 0.6%, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).

Figures indicate that the largest upward impacts on annual inflation were brought about by the food and non-alcoholic beverages index, with 0.48 percentage points, furniture, household equipment, and routine maintenance of the house index with 0.35 percentage points and restaurants and hotels index with 0.31 percentage points.

According to NSO, these were mainly due to higher prices for vegetables, furniture and restaurants respectively, and the main downward impact was recorded in the transport index  with 0.31 percentage points, which was mainly due to lower fuel prices

Statistics show that the twelve-month moving average rate was 1%.

Malta has highest annual inflation rate in the EU – Eurostat

Eurostat figures show that Malta is the country with the highest annual inflation rates in the EU, followed by Belgium, Portugal and Sweden, with 0.9% each.

According to Eurostat figures the lowest annual rates were registered in Cyprus with -1.9%, Romania with -1.5% and Spain with -1.1%.

Figures show that the average annual inflation rate in the Euro area was of -0.1% in September 2015 which marks a drop from August’s 0% rate, and from last year’s 0.4% rate.

Statistics show that the largest upward impacts in the general euro area inflation cane from restaurants and cafes with 0.12 percentage points, vegetables with 0.11 percentage points, and tobacco with 0.08 percentage points, whereas fuels for transport, heating oil and milk, cheese and eggs had the biggest drops with -0.71, -0.25 and -0.06 percentage points respectively.