Brussels, 18/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - According to the latest Eurostat estimates, the euro-zone annual inflation was up from 2.2% in August to 2.6% in September 2005. Just one year earlier, it was at 2.1%. Inflation increased by 0.5% in September in the euro-zone. The EU25 annual inflation rate went from 2.2% in August to 2.5% in September 2005, compared to 2.1% one year earlier. Inflation was also up by 0.5% between August and September throughout the EU. At the end of September, Eurostat had tabled on a 2.5% rise over one year in the euro zone.
Germany (+2.6% in one year) and France (+2.4%) for the first time exceed the 2% limit fixed by the European Central Bank (ECB) in several months, while Italy remains, as in August, at 2.2%. Luxembourg (+4.7%), Spain and Greece (+3.8%) notched up the highest rates. In the EU25, the lowest annual rates were recorded in Sweden and Finland (+1.1%). The largest increases were in Latvia (/7.4%) and Estonia (+4.9%).
Looking at inflation sector by sector, as oil prices continue to rise, energy prices (+15.2%) have had the greatest impact on pushing up the inflation rate, not only month by month but over the whole year. Transport prices, that have suffered a direct effect, have also climbed (+6.4% in one year). Housing prices continue to rise at a high rate in most European countries (+5.5% in one year), as do prices for alcoholic drinks and tobacco (+5.6%). Only telecommunication tariffs have fallen - by 2.5%.