The CPI rises to 3.5% in September and food prices maintain their growth at 10.5%

The INE confirms that core inflation fell three tenths, to 5.8%

MADRID, 13 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.2% in September compared to the previous month and increased its interannual rate nine tenths, up to 3.5%, mainly due to the rise in electricity prices and fuels and lubricants for personal vehicles. Food prices, for their part, maintained their year-on-year growth at 10.5%.

With the advance in September, inflation has chained three consecutive months of increases after in July and August it rose four and three tenths, respectively, according to the final data published this Friday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), which coincides with the advanced at the end of last month.

In this way, the interannual rate of the CPI once again exceeded 3% in September after three months below this level and is at its highest level since last April, when it reached 4.1%.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs has stressed in a statement that the increase in general inflation in September is due to the base effect of electricity and fuel prices. "Spain has been among the countries with the lowest inflation and highest growth in the entire euro zone for more than a year," he highlighted.

"In an inflationary context throughout Europe, Spain is consolidating itself as one of the countries in the euro zone with the lowest inflation after lowering it by almost 5.5 points in the last year," highlighted the Department headed, in office, by Nadia Calviño .

Faced with the rising prices of electricity and fuel, Statistics highlights that the prices of tourist packages fell more in September than in the same month of 2022, while the prices of clothing and footwear rose less than a year before with the entry of the new autumn-winter season.

Core inflation (without unprocessed food or energy products) fell three tenths in September, to 5.8%, standing 2.3 points above the general CPI. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has highlighted that this rate of 5.8% is the lowest since June 2022.

In the case of prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, their year-on-year rate remained unchanged in September, showing a rebound of 10.5%.

In monthly terms (September over August), the CPI registered an increase of 0.2%, three tenths less than what it rose in the previous month. With this rebound, inflation has chained four consecutive months of monthly increases.

The monthly increase in the CPI in September was a consequence of the increase in the cost of fuel, electricity and food, which increased by 0.5% due to the increase in the price of oils and fats and legumes and vegetables.