Italy's inflation rate rises to 1.5% in February

Italy's annual inflation rate rose to 1.5 percent in February from 1.0 per cent in January, statistics agency Istat said, according to ANSA.

- 

The consumer price index rose 0.7 per cent month-on-month. Istat revised down its preliminary estimate of a 1.6 per cent annual increase and a 0.8 per cent monthly rise.

The “shopping trolley” index, which tracks prices of food, household goods and personal care products, rose by 2.0 per cent from 1.9 per cent in January.

Core inflation - excluding energy and fresh food - leapt from 1.7 per cent in January to 2.4 per cent in February.