The consumer price index accelerated again after two months in December, with strong inflationary pressures in categories such as health insurance premiums, clothing and energy, while food remained largely on a downward trend.

Specifically, the ELSTAT said, the CPI ran at an annual rate of 2.6% in December, following trends of stabilization at 2.4% in November.

In the November-December monthly comparison, the index showed a slight increase of 0.1%.

In the individual categories, an increase more than double the general rate of 6.2% was recorded in the Clothing & Footwear group, with +3.8% in Health Care, +3.7% in Housing and +5.9% in the Hotels-Cafeterias-Restaurants group.

Among others, health insurance premiums showed a 14% annual increase in December, airline tickets increased by 47.7%, rents by 8.5%, restaurants by 5.7%, electricity by 7.6% and gas by 8.7%. At the same time, rents were up 8.5% from a year earlier, and up 1.1% from November. 

In contrast, food prices fell by 0.3% from a year ago, with decreases recorded in bakery and confectionery products, pizzas and pies, pasta, poultry, frozen seafood, dairy and eggs, oils and fats, fresh fruit and other foods.

At the same time, however, there continued to be occasional increases in food products that exceeded the average rate, such as beef (+4.4%), cereals (+4.5%) and the category mineral water - soft drinks - fruit juices (+4.2%).