Issued by the NSO earlier today, The latest reading of the Retail Price Index is contradicting the HICP over inflation after the RPI came out higher from the previous month. According to the Retail Price Index, inflation in Malta in December hit 2.7%, higher than the previous reading of 2.6% for November. The HICP reading for December came lower from the previous month at 2.4%.
One of the main differences in how the RPI is calculated in contrast to the HICP is that the RPI focus exclusively on Maltese households while the HICP has a more broad-based capture as per EU guidelines and regulations.
However the RPI for the month of December was also heavily affected by “Other Goods and Services” which also includes jewelry. Jewelry prices are soaring due to the rising prices of precious metals. Household items also made a significant push forward in prices and food remained in the list as one of the top contributing factors.
December is always a strange month for prices due to the shopping-holiday season but by next month we can further confirm whether the inflationary trend in Malta has broken downward or is still going up.
Newsroom
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