ROME, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Inflation expectations in Italy remain moderate, the country's central bank said on Tuesday.

A survey among Italian companies with 50 or more employees run in December showed that "opinions regarding the current economic situation and expectations for the next three months remain positive," although less so than those expressed in the previous report.

"Inflation expectations are still moderate over all time horizons, in line with the recent trend and expectations regarding firms' own prices," the Bank of Italy said.

Service firms and those in industry excluding construction reported "an increase in demand for their products in the next three months," while in the construction sector "the opposite is true," according to the survey.

Considering operating conditions in the current quarter, companies' expectations "appear slightly less favorable, mainly owing to assessments coming from the construction sector."

The survey also showed investment plans for 2018 would suggest "an increase in expenditure with respect to last year," and employment expectations also showed "a further, albeit limited, increase in industry, excluding construction and services."

The Italian consumer price index in December rose by 0.4 percent over the previous month, and by 0.9 percent year-on-year, the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) said on Tuesday, confirming preliminary estimates.

The same increase in the annual inflation rate had been registered in November, ISTAT added.