Italian household spending up despite purchasing power fall

(ANSA) - Rome, October 15 - Italian household spending rose in the second quarter of this year despite a drop in purchasing power, Istat said Wednesday. The national statistics agency said families spent 0.2% more in the second quarter with respect to the first three months of 2014 and 0.8% more than in the same period last year. Households' purchasing power, on the other hand, fell 1.4% in the second quarter with respect to the first and 1.5% in comparison with the April-June period in 2013, Istat said.