Italy's Inflation Remains Low despite Lifting of Price Controls
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The relatively low inflation rate in January is significant given that the month is the first since the price controls in Italy's "anti-inflation quarter" expired. The initiative artificially reduced consumer prices on a basket of basic necessities over the final three months of 2023. The government reserved the right to continue the terms of the "anti-inflation quarter" into this year but it chose not to do so.
ISTAT said the main factors pushing prices in the country higher in January were transportation-related services which climbed by 4.3 percent compared to 3.7 percent in December and unprocessed food goods, which climbed by 7.5 percent, up from 7.0 percent a month earlier.
Prices for energy goods -- which sparked record-high levels of inflation in 2022 -- continued to decline in January, down 21.4 percent from last year's same period.
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