Finland Inflation Remains Stable At 0.7%

(RTTNews) - Finland's consumer price inflation held steady in January after easing to a 4-year low in December, data from Statistics Finland showed on Wednesday.

The consumer price index rose 0.7 percent year-over-year in January, the same as in the previous month.

Consumer prices were raised most in January by increases in general hospital fees, district heat, and maintenance charges, while the rise in inflation was curbed by reductions in the prices of electricity, the average interest rate on housing loans, and interest on consumer credit.

The annual decline in utility costs deepened to 2.0 percent in January from 1.0 percent a month ago. Meanwhile, the price growth in clothing and footwear accelerated to 1.44 percent from 0.98 percent, and prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 0.85 percent.

The EU measure of the Harmonized Index, or HICP, increased at a slightly faster pace of 1.7 percent in January versus 1.6 percent a month ago. In the flash report, the rate of inflation held steady at 1.6 percent.

Compared to the previous month, consumer prices climbed 0.5 percent in January after a 0.1 percent gain in the previous month.