Finland: Harmonized inflation rises but remains below target in March
Latest reading: Harmonized inflation inched up to 1.8% in March, following February’s 1.5%. March’s result represented the highest inflation rate since October 2023, but was among the lowest in the Euro area and remained below the ECB’s 2.0% target. Looking at the details of the release, prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages rose at a faster pace in March, and housing and utilities costs rebounded. On the flipside, prices for transportation dropped after growing in the previous month. Moreover, prices for recreation grew at a more subdued pace.
As a result, annual average harmonized inflation rose to 1.2% in March (February: 1.1%). Meanwhile, consumer price inflation was stable, coming in at February’s 0.5% in March.
Lastly, harmonized consumer prices rose 0.13% in March over the previous month, which was below February’s 0.48% rise.