The annual inflation rate in Chile fell to 2.6 percent in December 2018 from 2.8 percent in the previous month. It was the lowest inflation rate since August, as prices eased for food & non-alcoholic beverages (2.9 percent from 3.1 percent in November); transport (2.5 percent from 4.0 percent); housing & utilities (3.8 percent from 3.9 percent); miscellaneous goods & services (3.2 percent from 3.8 percent); furnishings & household equipment (0.4 percent from 0.7 percent); and restaurants & hotels (3.2 percent from 3.5 percent). Also, cost fell further for clothing & footwear (-5.5 percent from -5.2 percent) and communications (-0.4 percent from -0.3 percent). Meanwhile, prices rose at a faster pace for recreation & culture (3.3 percent from 1.6 percent) and health (3.2 percent from 3.0 percent). The annual core inflation, which excludes volatile items, went up to 2.1 percent from 2.0 percent in the prior month. On a monthly basis, consumer prices dropped 0.1 percent. Inflation Rate in Chile averaged 41.50 percent from 1951 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 746.30 percent in April of 1974 and a record low of -3.40 percent in November of 2009.
Inflation Rate in Chile is expected to be 2.40 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Inflation Rate in Chile to stand at 3.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Chile Inflation Rate is projected to trend around 3.00 percent in 2020, according to our econometric models.