MADRID, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Preliminary data published by the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) on Thursday showed that prices in Spain increased 1.3 percent year on year in March 2019.

The increase is 0.2 percentage point higher than that of February.

According to the INE, a rise in fuel prices over the current months was a main driving force of the increase, while the less year-on-year drop of electricity prices also contributed.

It is the 30th consecutive month that prices in Spain have increased year-on-year, although for the past five months the increase has been lower than 2 percent.

The INE will provide the more detailed data on the rate of inflation on April 12.