Inflation scale 3% pushed by the light invoice after the VAT rise

The purchase basket was fade in February for the fifth consecutive month pushed by the light bill. The IPC uploaded four tenths with respect to January to the annual rate at 3%its highest level since June, confirming the progress published by the National Statistics Institute (INE) only a few weeks ago.

Precisely, since January 1, the VAT of electricity was returned to 21%, compared to the type of 10% that was applied until December 31 of last year, within the anti -crisis measures package that was approved in response to the energy and inflationary crisis. Thus, the housing group raised its interannual rate in February, to 9.8%.

In the last month “the price of olive oil is accentuated”, which already accumulates a 32.3% drop in the last year. Sugar is also lowered, 15.2%with respect to the same month of last year, while the beef rose (10.6%) and that of sheep, which is more than more expensive. Fresh and frozen fish rose 6%.

The data that the statistical body has made public confirm that the underlying inflation, which excludes fresh food and energy from its calculation because it is more volatile, It continued to be reduced in February, two tenths, and stood at 2.2%its lowest level for more than three years.

At the same time, the fuels and lubricants For personal vehicles, they influenced the drop in the inflation of February, as they uploaded their prices less than in the same month of 2024. This meant that the transport group reduces a point its interannual rate, up to 0.3%.

Inflation rises in all autonomous communities

By autonomous communities, the CPI registered positive annual rates in all in February, being the highest of the Balearic Islands (3.6%) and the lowest that of the Canary Islands (2.2%). The INE has confirmed that the harmonized IPC, which is the reference that Eurostat takes to make its comparisons between countries, stood at 2.9%, maintaining with respect to the previous month.

In a context of international uncertainty, “Spain continues to maintain the greater growth among the main economies in the euro zonewhich is being compatible with a moderation of prices and the purchasing power gains of citizens, “sources from the Ministry of Economy point out.