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15 November 2019Frena of 0.1% on a monthly basis, inflation in October grew by 0.2% on an annual basis, slightly down from + 0.3% in September (the preliminary estimate was + 0.3%). The Istat notes this. In October - ISTAT observes - the tendential downturn in the prices of energy assets is further accentuated and in particular those regulated that, although increasing on a monthly basis, discount the comparison with October last year, when their economic growth was been more than double that of this year. If overall inflation slows further, the underlying inflation shows slight signs of a rise, which "do not, however, alter the general weakness of consumer price growth".

In detail, the slight deceleration of inflation in October is mainly due to the expansion of the regulated energy prices (from -5.3% to -8.0%), only partially offset by the acceleration in the prices of energy Transport-related services (from + 0.4% to + 1.8%).

Inflation founded, net of energy and fresh food, and inflation net of energy alone, both accelerate from + 0.6% to + 0.7%. The slight decrease on the short-term basis of the general index is essentially due to the decrease, mainly due to seasonal factors, of transport services prices (-0.7%) and of recreational, cultural and care services person (-0.8%), only partly offset by the cyclical increase in energy prices, both in the regulated component (+ 2.9%) and not (+ 0.9%).

The fall in asset prices is accentuated (from -0.2% to -0.5%), while those for services accelerated (from + 0.9% to + 1.1%); the inflation differential remains positive and widens to +1.6 percentage points (it was +1.1 in September). Inflation acquired for 2019 is + 0.6% for the general index and + 0.5% for the underlying component.

The harmonized index of consumer prices (Ipca) increased by 0.2% on a monthly basis and on an annual basis (as in September), confirming the preliminary estimate. The national consumer price index for worker and employee households (Foi), excluding tobacco, recorded a 0.1% decrease on a monthly basis and a zero change compared to October 2018.

The shopping cart rises to 0.5% in October
The so-called 'shopping cart' (ie the prices of foodstuffs, for home and personal care) increases in October by 0.5% on an annual basis (from + 0.4% in the previous month) and product prices with a high purchase frequency of 0.4% (stable compared to September), recording in both cases a weak but more sustained growth than that referred to the entire basket.