Consumer prices for food were up by 6.0% in December compared with 6.2% in November. Excluding food and energy, consumer prices rose by 2.0% in the year to December, compared with 2.2% in November.
In the euro area, the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) was up by 1.6% in the year to December, compared with 2.1% in the year to November. Month-on-month, the HICP in the euro area decreased by 0.1% in December, after declining 0.5% in November. Excluding food and energy, the year-on-year rise in the HICP in the euro area amounted to 1.8% in December, compared with 1.9% in November.
In the United States, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 0.1% over the year to December, compared with 1.1% in the year to November.
In Japan, consumer prices were up by 0.4% year-on-year in December, compared with 1.0 % in the year to November.
Over the year to December, consumer prices rose by 3.1% in the United Kingdom, 2.2% in Italy, 1.2% in Canada, 1.1% in Germany and 1.0% in France.
Despite the deceleration over the last months of 2008, the consumer prices in the OECD area, rose by 3.7% on average between 2007 and 2008 after 2.5% between 2006 and 2007. Consumer energy prices were 12.4% higher in 2008 than in 2007. Excluding food and energy, the annual average increase in the price level from 2007 to 2008 amounted to 2.2%.
