Istat has released the definitive data on the trend of consumer prices in August 2025, confirming a general inflation but still high in some key sectors.
The national consumer price index for the entire community (NIC), gross of tobacco, grew by 0.1% on a monthly basis and 1.6% on an annual basis, slightly slowing compared to +1.7% in July.
They cost more food and services
The drop in inflation is mainly due to the cooling of the prices of regulated energy goods ( +12.9% from +17.1%) and not regulated (-6.3% from -5.2%). Communications also contribute to the descent ( +0.2% from +0.5%) and processed food ( +2.7% from +2.8%).
On the opposite front, the shopping cart continues to weigh on family budgets. Un -processed food goods record acceleration from +5.1% to +5.6%, while the goods for the care of the house and the person grow from +3.2% to +3.4%.
The services also show more lively dynamics: recreational, cultural and for personal care go from +2.7% to +3%, and transport from +3.3% to +3.5%.
Background inflation
Basic inflation, i.e. the index purified by fresh food and energy, stands at +2.1% (from +2%). If only energy goods are excluded, the data rises to +2.3%.
| Spending divisions | Weight | Aug25/Lug25 | Ago24/Lug24 |
| Food and non -alcoholic | 171.290 | +0.2% | +0.2% |
| Alcohol and tobacco | 30.112 | +0.2% | +0.1% |
| Clothing and footwear | 59.351 | 0% | -0.1% |
| Home, water, light, fuels | 118.883 | -1.1% | +0.3% |
| Furniture, articles and home services | 68,441 | 0% | 0% |
| Health | 81.284 | +0.1% | +0.1% |
| Transport | 152.266 | +0.5% | +0.4% |
| Communications | 19.136 | +0.3% | -0.4% |
| Recreation, shows and culture | 74,624 | +0.9% | +0.6% |
| Instruction | 9.210 | 0% | 0% |
| Receptive and catering services | 119.507 | 0% | -0.3% |
| Other goods and services | 95.896 | +0.1% | +0.2% |
| General index | 1,000,000 | +0.1% | +0.2% |
The North-South gap
Inflation does not affect Italy uniformly. In the South the prices grow by 1.8%(from +1.9%), in the center of 1.7%(from +1.6%), while slowing down in the North-West ( +1.5%) and in the islands ( +1.2%).
Among the cities, the most marked increases are recorded in Rimini (+2.4%), Naples and Bolzano (+2.1%), while the minimum growth touch Campobasso (+0.5%) and Aosta (+0.3%).
Harmonized and European dynamic index
The harmonized index of consumer prices (IPCA), which allows comparisons on the EU level, marks a -0.2% on a monthly basis (due to the summer sales, not included in the NIC) and a +1.6% per year, down from +1.7% in July.
The slowdown reflects above all the drop in residence, water, electricity and fuels prices (from +0.6% to -0.8%) and health (from +3.2% to +2.7%). On the other hand, recreational services (+1.6%) and catering (+3.2%) accelerate.
How much does it cost to shop today
Already the preliminary estimates of Istat, published, two weeks earlier, had highlighted how to shop had become more expensive for the Italians, despite the general inflation was in retreat.
The detail of the prices already published by Istat shows a double speed. On the one hand the energy drops:
- city and natural gas in the market protected by +1.4% to -5.1%,
- electricity free market from -6.9% to -8.2%,
- Petrol and diesel for transport respectively -6.3% and -3.5% per year.
On the other hand, food runs:
- food processed from +2.8% to +3.0%,
- food not processed from +5.1% to +5.6%,
- fresh vegetables from +3.1% to +4.9%,
- meats from +4.9% to +5.2%.
Behind the numbers, there is the daily life of families struggling with dear expenditure. According to Assoutenti, the only item food and soft drinks voice records a leap of +4.2% per year, with peaks of +5.6% for fresh and unrelated food. The translation into concrete figures:
- +384 euros per year for a type type with two children;
- +6.8 billion euros overall additional expenditure at national level.
