Oslo, Apr. 11, (dpa-AFX/GNA) - Norway’s consumer prices rose to the highest level in three months in March and producer prices increased for the fifteenth month in a row, data from Statistics Norway showed on Monday.
Consumer prices rose 4.5% yearly in March, following a 3.7% increase in February. Economists had expected a rate of 5.0%. This was the highest since December last year when prices grew 5.3%.
Prices for housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, and transport costs gained 7.9%, each, annually in March. Prices for restaurants and hotels increased by 6.2% and those of furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance rose by 3.6%. Prices for recreation and culture, and education rose by 2.5% and 2.0%, respectively.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices increased 0.6% in March, after a 1.1% growth in the prior month. The EU measure of the harmonized index of consumer prices rose 4.7 % yearly in March, following a 3.5% increase in the previous month.
On a month-on-month basis, the HICP rose 0.8% in March, after a 1.2% gain in the prior month. Producer prices grew 79.4% yearly in March, following a 53.2% rise in February. Prices increased for the fifteenth straight month. On a monthly basis, prices rose 16.9% in March, following a 2.1% increase in the preceding month.
GNA