Brussels, 28/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - According to Eurostat figures published on 28 February by the European Commission, the annual inflation rate in the euro zone was 1.8% in January 2007, compared to 1.9% in December 2006. A year previously it was 2.4%. The annual inflation rate of the EU of twenty-seven was 2.1% in January 2007, compared with 2.2% in December 2006. A year previously it was 2.3%.
In January 2007 the lowest annual rates were seen in the Netherlands (1.0%), Malta (1.2%) and Finland (1.3%), with the highest rates in Hungary (8.4%), Latvia (7.1%) and Bulgaria (6.9%). The average rates over the twelve months leading up to January 2007 were lowest in Poland and Finland (both 1.3% ) as well as Sweden (1.5%), and highest in Bulgaria (7.4%), Latvia (6.5%) and Romania (6.2%). (hb)