UK inflation remained unchanged at 3% in the year to February, offering a brief period of stability before economists expect a renewed surge in price pressures driven by the Middle East conflict.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that annual inflation held steady following months of gradual decline, with rising clothing prices offset by lower fuel and alcohol costs.
However, the data was collected before the escalation of the US-Israel conflict with Iran, an event that has already triggered sharp increases in global energy prices and is widely expected to feed through into higher inflation in the months ahead.
The main upward pressure on inflation in February came from clothing and footwear, where prices rose by 0.9% over the year. This marked a reversal from the previous month, when clothing prices had shown no increase.
ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said the rise reflected typical seasonal pricing dynamics, but also highlighted the underlying volatility within the inflation basket.
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