Final data confirmed that Eurozone headline inflation edged lower to 2.2% yoy in March, down from 2.3% in February. Core inflation (ex energy, food, alcohol & tobacco) also softened to 2.4% from 2.6%.
Services was the main contributor to price pressures in Eurozone, adding 1.56 percentage points to the annual rate, followed by food, alcohol and tobacco at 0.57 points. Energy contributed negatively, subtracting -0.10 points from the overall figure.
At the EU level, inflation was finalized at 2.5% yoy, an improvement from February’s 2.7% yoy. France registered the lowest annual rate at just 0.9%, while Denmark and Luxembourg followed at 1.5% and 1.5% respectively. In contrast, inflation remains more persistent in Eastern Europe, with Romania (5.1%), Hungary (4.8%), and Poland (4.4%)recording the highest annual rates.