Retail prices rose at a marginally higher rate in September than during the previous month, new data released on Monday shows.

The retail price index, which measures monthly price changes in the cost of a basket of consumer goods and services, rose by 1.64 per cent in September when compared to the 1.12 per cent rise in August.

Over 12 months, the RPI moving average rate was 1.08 per cent.

The RPI only captures private households, which distinguishes it from the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, which also encompasses retirement homes and foreign visitors to Malta.

The greatest upward impact on annual inflation came in the food index (0.94 percentage points), mainly due to the higher prices of take-aways.

The clothing and footwear index registered the largest downward impact (0.11 percentage points), mainly reflecting the lower prices for garments, the National Statistics Office said.

So far this year, the food index has registered an annual inflation rate of 4.37 per cent. When restaurant services and take-aways are excluded, that rate was 3.54 per cent. Restaurants and take-aways registered an annual rate of 6.54 per cent.

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