ATHENS: Greece’s consumer prices decreased at a slower-than-expected pace in December, figures from the Hellenic Statistical Authority showed.
The consumer price index edged down 0.2 percent in year-over-year in December, slower than the 0.7 percent drop in November.
Economists had expected a 0.5 percent decrease for the month. Consumer prices have been falling since March 2013.
In the whole year, overall consumer prices fell 1.7 percent compared with a 1.3 percent decline in 2014.
Housing costs dipped 3.6 percent in December from a year ago and transport costs went down by 2.1 percent. At the same time, prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages grew 2.8 percent.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.1 percent in December, in contrast to a 0.8 percent fall in the prior month. It was the first increase in three months.
The EU measure of inflation, or HICP, climbed 0.4 percent annually in December, reversing a 0.1 percent drop in November. The expected rate of increase was 0.3 percent.
Month-on-month, the harmonized index of consumer prices showed no variations in December, following a 0.7 percent decrease in the preceding month.
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