Consumer price inflation in the OECD area remained at 1.3% in the year to February 2009. Month-onmonth, prices rose by 0.4% in February, the first tangible positive increase since July 2008.

Consumer prices for energy were down by 8.6% in the year to February 2009, following a fall of 9.6% in January.

Consumer prices for food were up by 4.8% in the year to February compared with 5.4% in January. Excluding food and energy, the rise in consumer prices at 1.9% in the year to February 2009 was unchanged from the January 2009 position.

In the euro area, the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) was up by 1.2% in the year to February, compared with 1.1% in the year to January. Month-on-month, the HICP in the euro area increased by 0.4% in February, after declining 0.8% in January. Excluding food and energy, the year-on-year rise in the HICP in the euro area amounted to 1.7% in February, compared with 1.6% in January.

In the United States, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.2% over the year to February, after being stable in the year to January.

In Japan, consumer prices decreased by 0.1% year-on-year in February, after remaining stable in the year to January.

Over the year to February, consumer prices rose by 3.1% in the United Kingdom, 1.6% in Italy, 1.4% in Canada, 1.0% in Germany and 0.9% in France.