France's Consumer Prices Climb to 1.7 Percent in March
The sharp uptick was primarily fueled by surging energy costs, which soared 7.3% annually after contracting 2.9% the prior month. Insee attributed the spike largely to petroleum-based products, including gasoline, diesel, and liquid fuels.
Service and tobacco prices edged upward over the same period, while manufactured goods prices declined at a steeper pace than in February and food price inflation cooled.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices climbed 0.9% in March, accelerating from 0.6% in February, again driven predominantly by energy costs. Food and tobacco prices posted modest gains, whereas manufactured goods and services expanded at a more subdued pace compared to the preceding month.
Household expenditure on goods, meanwhile, contracted 1.4% in February relative to January. Measured annually, spending dropped 1.5% and shed 0.6% across the first quarter against the previous three-month period.
The harmonized consumer price index — the benchmark metric used for EU-wide comparisons — rose 1.9% year-on-year in March, following a 1.1% gain in February. On a monthly basis, the index advanced 1.1%, building on the 0.7% rise recorded the previous month, Insee said.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
