Inflation dips to a 9-year low
Greece’s headline consumer inflation decelerated to 2.0 percent in December, a nine-year low, from 2.9 percent in the previous month, thanks to falling energy prices, according to the National Statistics Service (NSS). The consumer price index is likely to move at an annual pace of around 2 percent in January after retreating from a 10-year high seen in mid-2008. «Based on today’s data, the price index is expected to shape up at the same level as December, or slightly lower,» said Manolis Kontopirakis, NSS general secretary. Gasoline prices fell 10 percent in December while the cost of heating oil retreated 18.6 percent, according to the NSS. An 18.1 percent hike in road toll charges and car registration fees fueled upward price pressure as did more expensive taxi fares. Across the eurozone, inflation eased to 1.6 percent year-on-year in December among the 15 member states using the single currency, from 2.1 percent in November.
