The consumer price index (CPI) slowed down in September to 1.5% year-on-year, eight tenths less than the previous month, due to the decrease in fuel and lubricants, although it reached 1.6% in the Canary Islands, while the inflation of food was cut by seven tenths, to 1.8%, the lowest rate since September 2021.
The National Institute of Statistics (INE) has confirmed this Tuesday the inflation data advanced two weeks ago, and also the underlying inflation rate (without energy or unprocessed food), which stood at 2.4% year-on-year, three tenths below the previous month.
The groups that have contributed to the rate being moderated by 0.8 points are transport (0.39 points), food and non-alcoholic beverages (0.14 points), housing (0.13 points) and leisure and culture (0.10 points).
The prices of the transport group fell by 3.9% in September, 2.6 points less than in August, due to the fall in gasoline prices, while those of food and non-alcoholic beverages moderated by seven tenths, to 1.8%, due to the decrease in oils and fats and the lower increase in legumes and vegetables.
Likewise, the housing group, which includes electricity, which fell 1.1 points, to 2.9% year-on-year, and the leisure and culture group, with a decrease of one point, to 1.1%, mainly due to the drop in prices of tourist packages, influenced the decrease in the rate.
Chocolate, the most rising
Chocolate has displaced olive oil as the product in the shopping basket that rises the most: the first increased its price in September by 20.7% in year-on-year rate and the second, by 10.3% (in a month in which the VAT on this product remained at zero), while in monthly rate olive oil fell by 2.9%.
After chocolate, the foods that rise the most are fruit and vegetable juices (16.2%), cocoa and chocolate powder (12%), sheep and goat meat (11.2%) and potatoes (8.9%).
The foods that have moved into negative territory are other edible oils, which fell by 5.9%; fresh legumes and vegetables, with a decrease of 3.8%; pizzas and quiches, which fell by 3.7%; and skimmed milk, with a decrease of 3.3%.
Leaving aside the food sector, the largest increases in September compared to the same month of the previous year were recorded by passenger transport by sea, 37.1% more; jewelry and costume jewelry, with an increase of 13%; and motor vehicle insurance, 10%.
At the opposite extreme, the largest decreases were recorded by liquid fuels, with a decrease of 22.5%; diesel, which fell by 16.3%; and gasoline, with a decrease of 13.5%.
Monthly inflation fell by 0.6%
In monthly comparison, consumer prices fell 0.6% compared to August and the groups with the greatest negative impact were leisure and culture, due to the drop in prices of tourist packages; and transport, due to the decrease in fuel and, to a lesser extent, air passenger transport.
On the other hand, clothing and footwear had an upward influence, as a result of the start of the autumn-winter season.
The price of passenger transport by sea (6.1%), hotels, hostels, pensions and similar accommodation services (5.2%) and men's clothing (3.9%) rose the most in September.
Five autonomous communities registered in September an inflation higher than the national average: Asturias (1.8%), Basque Country (1.8%), Balearic Islands (1.7%), Catalonia (1.7%) and Canary Islands (1.6%), while Cantabria and Navarra registered the lowest rates, with 1% and 1.1%, respectively.
In the month of September, the annual variation rate of the HICP stood at 1.7%, seven tenths less than that registered the previous month. In monthly rate it fell by 0.1%.
The Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, has assured on his social networks that the data show that the economy "remains strong and moderates prices", which allows "improving the purchasing power of citizens and the real income of households".
