The inflation rate in Spain rose by 0.6 percent to 3 percent in December, the National Institute of Statistics (INE) reported Friday.
The sharp rise was mainly due to increases in the price of fuel and tobacco, as the retail price index is currently at his highest point since October 2008.
The cost of transport, which includes fuel and lubricant costs, increased by 9.2 percent in 2010.
Alcoholic drinks and tobacco also witnessed a 15.2 percent price increase over the past year, the highest since 1994.
There have been regional variations in the rate of price increases, with the more rural communities, like Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla-Leon, Asturias and Andalusia, all above the 3 percent average.
Meanwhile, prices rose by an average of just 2 percent in the Canary Islands, while the Basque Country saw an increase of 2.8 percent.
The December inflation statistics are especially significant in Spain as they serve as the basis for salary revisions in companies that have inflation-linked pay rises in collective agreements with their employees./.