PARIS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) confirmed on Wednesday that France's consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.2 percent year on year in April, up from 1.7 percent in March.
According to INSEE, the increase in inflation was once again driven by a sharp acceleration in energy prices, which surged 14.3 percent year on year in April after rising 7.4 percent in March. Petroleum product prices jumped 31.4 percent, following an 18.1 percent increase in the previous month.
Prices of services accelerated slightly, rising 1.8 percent year on year, up from a 1.7 percent increase in March. By contrast, food prices slowed to 1.2 percent year on year from 1.8 percent previously, while prices of manufactured products declined 0.6 percent after falling 0.5 percent in March. Tobacco prices rose 3.2 percent year on year, unchanged from the previous month.
The CPI rose 1.0 percent in April from the previous month, matching the pace recorded in March. INSEE said the monthly rise was mainly driven by seasonal increases in service prices, particularly transport services, which climbed 9.1 percent after remaining stable in March, and accommodation services, which rose 4.9 percent after declining 0.8 percent previously.
Energy prices also continued to rise sharply month on month, increasing 4.7 percent after an 8.9 percent rise in March, driven by an 8.2 percent increase in petroleum product prices.
Core inflation stood at 1.2 percent year on year in April, up from 1.1 percent in March, INSEE said. ■
