Italy's state sector deficit up by 3.4bn euros in August

Higher pension spending also contributed to the 3.4 billion euro increase in Italy's state sector borrowing requirement last month.

By contrast, interest payments on Rome's high public debt fell by 800 million euros year-on-year.

Italy's state sector deficit for the first eight months of the year totalled 32.3 billion euros, down from 29.7 billion in January-August 2018.