Brussels, 24/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - In January, the annual increase in prices was negative in 23 member states, according to definitive figures published by the Statistical Office of the EU (Eurostat) on Tuesday 24 February.
The lowest annual rates were registered in Greece (-2.8%), Bulgaria (-2.3%), Spain (-1.5%), Lithuania and Hungary (-1.4% each), Luxembourg (-1.1%), Poland (-1.0%), Cyprus, the Netherlands and Slovenia (-0.7% each). Positive rates were registered only in Malta (0.8%), Austria and Romania (0.5% each), Sweden (0.4%) and the United Kingdom (0.3%).
In the eurozone, the inflation observed stood at -0.6% in January, compared to -0.2% in December 2014, or the lowest level since July 2009. At EU level, the drop in prices was also greater, from -0.1% to
-0.5% over one month.
The largest upward impacts to eurozone annual inflation came from restaurants and cafes and rents (+0.14% each) and tobacco (+0.07%), whilst fuels for transport (-0.77%), heating oil (-0.24%) and telecommunications (-0.05%) had the biggest downward impacts. (Mathieu Bion)