France consumer prices edged down by 0.2% over one month

According to the report from INSEE, in July 2019, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) fell back by 0.2% over a month, after a rise by 0.2% in June. This dip resulted from a seasonal fall in manufactured product prices (−2.8% after a stability in June) due to summer sales, and a sharp decline in energy prices (−1.1% after −0.1%). Contrariwise, services prices gathered pace (+1.0% after +0.5%), essentially due to airfares with the beginning of school holidays. Food prices were also more dynamic than in the previous month (+0.5% after +0.1%). Finally, tobacco prices rose slightly by 0.2% over a month after a stability in June. 

Seasonally adjusted, consumer prices slowed down to +0.1% in July 2019, after +0.3%.

Year on year, consumer prices rose by +1.1%, after +1.2% in June. This slight drop in inflation came from a year-on-year slowdown in energy, services and tobacco prices. Contrariwise, a sharp acceleration in food prices and a smaller drop in the prices for manufactured products limited the drop in inflation.

Year on year, core inflation was unchanged: +0.9%, as in the previous month. The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) slowed down, over a month, to −0.2% in July, after +0.3% in June; year on year, it grew by +1.3%, after +1.4% in the previous month.