The Eurozone annual inflation stood at 2.0% in February, compared to 1.8% in January, according to the final data published by the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat) on Thursday 16 March. In the European Union, this rate stood at 1.9%, compared to 1.7% one month previously.
The lowest annual rates were observed in Ireland (0.3%), Romania (0.5%) and Bulgaria and Denmark (0.9% each). The highest annual rates were recorded in Estonia (3.4%), Belgium (3.3%) and Latvia and Lithuania (3.2% each). Inflation stood at 1.4% in France 1.6% in Italy, 1.8% in the United Kingdom, 2.2% in Germany and 3.0% in Spain.
Compared to January, annual inflation fell in three member states and rose in 24 others.
The largest upward impacts to Eurozone annual inflation came from fuels for transport (+0.6%), vegetables (+0.25%) and heating oil (+0.16%), whilst telecommunications (-0.1%), clothing (-0.07%) and gas (-0.06%) had the biggest downwards impacts.
In early March, the ECB decided to keep its principal rates and highly accommodative monetary policy unchanged until such time as the inflationary pressure appears more permanent (see EUROPE 11742). (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)