Austria's inflation still high despite downward trend

VIENNA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The growth in consumer prices in Austria slowed down between January and March amid falling energy prices, but overall, inflation was still high, according to data released by Statistics Austria on Wednesday.

The central European country's inflation in March stood at 9.2 percent, down from 10.9 percent in February and 11.2 percent in January, as "fuel and heating oil prices had fallen sharply" compared to March 2022, Statistics Austria said in a statement.

The price of food products, however, kept growing sharply in March, representing a 14.7-percent increase from a year earlier.

Prices in the catering segment, including restaurants and hotels, increased 13.2 percent in March year on year.

In 2022, consumer prices in Austria rose by an average of 8.6 percent, driven by surging energy prices. This represents the highest annual inflation rate recorded in the country since 1975, according to Statistics Austria.