20/01/25 (Agence Europe) – The annual inflation rate in the euro area stood at 2.4% in December 2024, compared with 2.2% in November, according to figures published by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) on Friday 17 January. In the EU, it stood at 2.7% in December 2024, compared to 2.5% in November. The lowest annual rates were observed in Ireland (1.0%), Italy (1.4%), Luxembourg, Finland and Sweden (1.6% each), while the highest rates were recorded in Romania (5.5%), Hungary (4.8%) and Croatia (4.5%). Price rises were moderate in France (1.8%), but sustained in Germany and Spain (both 2.8%). The biggest contributions to the annual inflation rate in the euro area at the end of 2024 came from services (+1.78 percentage points or pp), followed by food, alcohol, and tobacco (+0.51 pp); non-energy industrial goods (+0.13 pp); and energy (+0.01 pp). (MB)