Consumer prices in the OECD area rose by 1.7% in the year to September 2010, up from 1.6% in August. This small pick-up in inflation mainly reflects higher food and energy prices, which increased by 2.3% and 5.2% respectively in September, compared with 1.4% and 4.8% in August.

Excluding food and energy, the annual inflation rate held steady for the third consecutive month at 1.2% in the year to September 2010.

Consumer prices, selected areas
September 2010, percentage change on the same month of the previous year


Deflation continued in Japan for the twentieth consecutive month with consumer prices falling by 0.6% in the year to September. Inflation remained stable in the United Kingdom at 3.1%, in Italy at 1.6% and in the United States at 1.1%, while consumer prices rose in the other G7 countries. Inflation was at 1.9% in Canada (up from 1.7%), 1.6% in France (up from 1.4%) and 1.3% in Germany (up from 1.0%). Euro area annual inflation (HICP) was 1.8% in September, up from 1.6% in August.

Consumer prices in the OECD area rose by 0.2% in September when compared with the previous month. They rose by 0.3% in Japan, 0.2% in Canada and 0.1% in the United States, and were stable in the United Kingdom. Consumer prices decreased by 0.1% in France and in Germany, and by 0.2% in Italy.