Inflation rises to 2% in Catalonia in October, driven by electricity and fuel prices

Inflation in Catalonia (or Consumer Price Index) rose to 2% during the month of October, driven by a spike in electricity and fuel prices, according to data published on Thursday by Spain's National Institute.

The increase follows the same trend as in Spain, where inflation rose by 0.3 percentage points to 1.8%, a figure confirmed on Thursday but forecasted by the end of October.

Cots increased by 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous month.

In Catalonia, core inflation, which does not include the most volatile prices such as energy and food, dropped to 2.6%, one-tenth lower than the previous year and 0.4 percentage points higher than a year ago.

This increase breaks three straight months of registered price drops, although figures are still moderated compared to those seen in 2022 when inflation surpassed 10%.

In Catalonia, all territories have seen an increase in prices, with the western area of Lleida leading the rise with 2.2%, followed by Barcelona's 2%, Girona's 1.9%, and Tarragona's 1.6%.

Housing and transport have registered the highest increases, a large category that includes electricity, fuel, and gas, which in Catalonia all increased by 4.4% compared to the last year and 0.6% more than in September.