01/02/2024 (Agence Europe) – The annual inflation rate in the euro area is estimated at 2.8% in January 2024, compared with 2.9% in December 2023, according to a flash estimate published by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) on Thursday 1 February. Prices rose by 0.9% in Italy, 3.1% in Germany, 3.4% in France and 3.5% in Spain. In terms of the main components of inflation, food, alcohol and tobacco are expected to have the highest annual rate (5.7%), followed by services (4.0%), non-energy industrial goods (2.0%) and energy (-6.3%). At the end of December 2023, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 6.4% in the euro area (10.9 million people), stable compared to November, and 5.9% in the EU (12.9 million people), also stable over the same period. (MB)