ANKARA 

Eight out of 10 Italians will spend this Christmas season with their families to save money, local media reported on Saturday.

According to public broadcaster RaiNews, skyrocketing energy bills and food prices pushed many Italians to spend less on food shopping for Christmas dinner.

Among the products most used for the preparation of food and Christmas dishes, and which have undergone substantial increases, are butter with a 41.2% annual increase, followed by flour at 23.6%, eggs at 21.7%, rice at 35.4%, pasta at 23.6%, and bread at 16%.

Meanwhile, the price of a kilogram of cheese increased by over 20% while chicken rose by 18%.

The broadcaster said this year's Christmas will cost more and will be spent more modestly compared to the last year.