03/03/2026 (Agence Europe) – Annual inflation in the euro area is estimated at 1.9% in February 2026, up from 1.7% in January, according to a flash estimate that the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat) published on Thursday 3 March. It was highest in Slovakia (4%) and Croatia (3.9%). The lowest rates are estimated for Cyprus (0.4%) and France (1.1%). Inflation was moderate in Germany (2.0%) and Italy (1.6%), and sustained in Spain (2.5%). Looking at the main components of inflation in the euro area, services post the highest annual rate in February (3.4%, compared with 3.2% in January), followed by food, alcohol and tobacco (2.6%, stable against January), industrial goods excluding energy (0.7%, compared with 0.4% in January) and energy (-3.2%, compared with -4.0%). (BD)