UPDATE 1-Mexico first-half Dec inflation seen at 0.27 pct

(Adds details for full month)

MEXICO CITY, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Mexican consumer prices likely rose 0.27 percent during the first half of December, according to the median estimate of a Reuters survey of analysts on Thursday.

Core inflation, which strips away some volatile food and energy prices, was seen at 0.20 percent in the first two weeks of this month, according to the 15 analysts from banks, brokerages and consultancies.

The Reuters survey forecast December headline inflation of 0.46 percent, while core inflation for the full month is seen at 0.34 percent.

Analysts watching Mexico's economy pared back their expectations for 2007 inflation but raised their forecasts for core prices for the year, according to the latest monthly survey by the central bank published on Wednesday.

According to that poll of local and international analysts and think tanks, headline inflation was forecast at 3.84 percent at the end of the year, down from a forecast of 3.85 percent in the same poll last month.

Core inflation is seen at 3.90 percent this year, up from 3.87 percent in the November central bank poll. (Reporting by Rosario Torres, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)