18/01/2010 (Agence Europe) - The annual rate of inflation in the eurozone was 0.9% in December 2009 compared to 0.5% in November and 1.6% one year earlier, it is confirmed in data published on Friday 15 January by Eurostat. The monthly inflation rate was 0.3% in December 2009 and the average annual inflation rate was 0.3% in 2009 compared to 3.3% in 2008. The EU annual inflation rate was 1.4% in December 2009, compared to 1.0% in November and 2.2% one year earlier. The monthly inflation rate was 0.2% in December 2009 and the average annual inflation rate was 1.0% in 2009, compared to 3.7% in 2008. In December 2009, the lowest annual rates were recorded in Ireland (-2.6%), Estonia (-1.9%) and Latvia (-1.4%), and the highest were in Hungary (5.4%), Romania (4.7%) and Poland (3.8%). Compared to November 2009, the annual inflation rate increased in 20 member states, remained stable in four and declined in two. (A.B./transl.jl)