STOCKHOLM, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Inflation in Sweden slowed from 4.5 percent in February to 4.1 percent in March, Statistics Sweden (SCB) said on Friday.

Mikael Nordin, a statistician at SCB, said that the cost of certain goods had decreased from the same period last year.

SCB said that inflation, measured as the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was mainly driven by mortgage costs rising by 39.3 percent for apartment owners.

Meanwhile, tenants paid 5 percent higher rents for their apartments than a year earlier.

However, increasing housing costs were offset by cheaper diesel and electricity -- down by 17.5 percent and 9.1 percent respectively year-on-year, SCB said.

Besides increased lending costs due to the Swedish central bank raising the benchmark interest rate from 3 percent to 4 percent over the year, inflation was mainly driven by price hikes for transport services (7.2 percent year-on-year), healthcare (5.6 percent) and clothing (5.2 percent).

Restaurant visits and recreation and culture were also up by 4.3 percent and 3.1 percent respectively year-on-year, according to SCB. Enditem

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