Malta HICP Inflation Slows To 1.8%

(RTTNews) - Malta's EU measure of inflation eased for the second straight month in December, data from the National Statistics Office showed on Friday.

The harmonized index of consumer prices, or HICP, climbed 1.8 percent year-on-year in December, slower than the 2.1 percent rise in November.

Prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages registered a slower growth of 2.0 percent annually in December versus a 3.4 percent gain a month ago. Similarly, inflation based on utilities slowed to 0.9 percent from 1.1 percent. Meanwhile, communication costs dropped further by 4.8 percent from last year.

On a monthly basis, the HICP declined 0.4 percent in December.