Spain's inflation rate rose 0.5 percent in March, the fifth consecutive month of growth, the National Institute of Statistics said Tuesday.
The Inflation rate for March stood at 1.4 percent, another increase on the 0.9 percent recorded for February. The increase was due to a surge in fuel prices that also have influenced food prices, the institute said.
The results have been hailed by the government as "moderately positive." The government said economic conditions in Spain are "becoming more normal."
The government predicted that the current upward trend would continue in the coming months.
The five months of growth followed eight months of decline in Spain's inflation rate during the worst of the economic crisis./.