By Scott Kanowsky
Investing.com -- Price growth in Italy slowed in line with expectations in December, but still remains firmly in double-digit territory, according to preliminary data on Thursday.
The Italian National Institute of Statistics said the country's EU-harmonized annual inflation rate dropped slightly to 12.3% during the month, down from 12.6% in November.
When not calculated to account for EU standards, the consumer price index for Eurozone's third-largest economy decreased marginally to 11.6% from 11.8%.
The Italian figures come after France and Germany posted larger-than-expected declines in inflation in December, fueling hopes that a recent cost-of-living crisis in Europe may be starting to ease.