(STAR / Edd Gumban)
MANILA —Philippine annual inflation was 1.8% in December, above the previous month’s 1.5% rate, the statistics agency said on Tuesday.
Economists in a Reuters poll had expected annual inflation to ease to 1.4% in December.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was at 2.4%, matching November’s rate.
The agency said the main influences on the upward inflation trend in December were increases in the prices of food, drinks, and clothing and footwear.
—Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by John Mair
