Annual inflation in the European Union was two percent in April this year, up from 1.9 percent in March, according to a report released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. In April 2009 the annual inflation rate was registered as 1.3 percent. Meanwhile, monthly inflation was 0.4 percent in April this year. April was the second consecutive month in which annual inflation showed an increase.
In April, the lowest annual rates were observed in Latvia with -2.8 percent, in Ireland with -2.5 percent and in Lithuania with 0.2 percent, and the highest were seen in Hungary with 5.7 percent, in Greece with 4.7 percent and in Romania with 4.2 percent. Compared with March, annual inflation fell in six member states, remained stable in three and rose in seventeen.
The lowest 12-month averages up to April this year were registered in Ireland at -2.5 percent, in Portugal at -0.7 percent and in Estonia and Latvia both at -0.6 percent, and the highest were recorded in Hungary at five percent, Romania at 4.9 percent and in Poland at 3.8 percent.