Brussels, 17/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - According to Eurostat, the annual inflation rate in the euro zone stood at 2.1% in September, as in August. For the European Union as a whole (EU15), annual inflation remained stable in September compared to August at 1.9%. The highest rates of inflation were recorded in Ireland (4.5%), Greece and Portugal (3.8% each). The lowest rates were recorded in Germany and the United Kingdom (1% each), as well as Belgium and Sweden (1.2% each). In France, prices increased by 1.8%. The hike in prices in the euro zone as a whole in September was slightly lower than what was recorded in September 2001 (2.2%). Over a year, the steepest falls were recorded in Sweden (3.3% to 1.2%), Germany (2.1% to 1%) and Finland (2.6% to 1.4%). The steepest rises were in Spain (2.2% to 3.5%), Italy (2.1% to 2.8%) and Denmark (2.1% to 2.5%). In France, the inflation rate went from 1.6% to 1.8%.