Inflation rises in Catalonia to 3.1% in March due to fuel and electricity prices

Inflation in Catalonia rose to 3.1% in March, 0.4 percentage points higher than in February, according to figures published by Spain's National Statistics Institue (INE) on Friday. 

The increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) can largely be attributed to the rise in electricity and fuel prices.

March was the first month that the VAT on electricity had returned to 21%, instead of a reduced tax of 10% as seen in previous months.

Meanwhile, the food price fell 0.8% compared to February but is up 3.9% compared to March last year. However, the downtrend has continued in recent months.

In Spain, inflation in March stood at 3.2%, up 0.4 percentage points compared to the previous month.