Inflation in the European Union (EU) slowed down noticeably at the beginning of the year, “Eurostat” reported on Thursday, confirming the estimate of a slight slowdown in the growth of consumer prices in the eurozone.
At the EU level, the annual inflation rate, measured by the harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP), which enables comparison between member countries, decreased in January to 3.1 percent, from 3.4 percent in the previous month, and thus equaled the level from November.
On a monthly basis, prices slipped by 0.2 percent, after having increased by 0.1 percent in December, according to the tables of the European Statistical Office.
In January, the annual inflation rate measured by HICP was 2.8 percent in the Eurozone, in accordance with the Eurostat estimate published at the beginning of February. In December, it was 2.9 percent.
Energy prices fell the most at the beginning of the year in the euro area, by 6.1 percent compared to the same period last year, milder than in December, reports SEEbiz.
