The Italian statistical office Istat released its preliminary consumer price inflation data for Italy on Friday. Preliminary consumer prices in Italy were flat in April, after a 0.2% rise in March.

The monthly rises of prices of non-regulated energy products, services related to recreation, including repair and personal care and of services related to transport offset declines of prices of regulated energy products.

On a yearly basis, consumer prices fell 0.4% in April, after a 0.2% decrease in March.

The decline was driven by lower prices for regulated energy products, which slid 4.7% year-on-year in April.

Prices for goods declined 1.0% year-on-year in April, while services prices rose 0.4%.

Consumer price inflation excluding unprocessed food and energy prices fell to 0.5% year-on-year in April from 0.6% in March.