The annual rate of inflation as measured by the retail price index in March was 0.4%, up from the 0.19% a month earlier, the National Statistics Office said.

It said the 12-month moving average rate for March stood at 0.43%.

The annual inflation rate measures average price changes between the reference month and the same month of the previous year.

The largest upward impact on annual inflation was measured in the personal care and health index (+0.21 percentage points), while the largest downward impact was recorded in the transport and communication index (-0.23 percentage points)

The RPI measures monthly price changes in the cost of purchasing a representative basket of consumer goods and services, and is closely linked with the cost-of-living adjustment increases and periodic rent payment adjustments.

Although responsive to recent changes in price levels, this measure can be influenced by one-off effects in either month. 

A closely related measure of price movements is the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices.