Updated with ministry's statement at 2.20pm

The annual rate of inflation as measured by the Retail Price Index in November went up to 0.68 per cent, from 0.41 per cent in October.

The National Statistics Office said that, on a monthly basis, a rate of 0.39 per cent was registered in November, up from 0.10 per cent in October 2.

The main upward impacts were mainly due to higher prices of vegetables, non-alcoholic beverages and home furniture. The main downward impacts were
mainly due to a reduction in the prices of fuel, garments and gas.

The 12-month moving average rate declined from a rate of 0.66 per cent.

In a statement this afternoon, the Finance Ministry welcomed the data and said the low inflation level was mainly the result of a reduction in the general prices of recreational and cultural activities followed by clothing and footwear, and finally by transport.

"The figures also show that during the last four years of Labour Government, the average annual inflation for November also equalled 0.8 per cent.

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said: "This result shows that we are succeeding in recording robust economic growth rates while maintaining a low inflation level.

"This state of affairs manages to protect the earned incomes from erosion by price increases and thus contributes too to the maintenance of families’ purchasing power," he said.