Annual inflation in the European Union was two percent in August this year, down from a revised 2.1 percent in July, according to a report released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. In August 2009 the annual inflation rate was registered as 0.2 percent. Meanwhile, monthly inflation was 0.2 percent in August this year.
In August, the lowest annual rates were observed in Ireland with -1.2 percent, in Latvia with -0.4 percent and in Germany with one percent, and the highest were seen in Romania with 7.6 percent, in Greece with 5.6 percent and in Hungary with 3.6 percent. Compared with July, annual inflation in August fell in eight member states, remained stable in nine and rose in ten.
The lowest 12-month averages up to the end of August this year were registered in Ireland at -2.3 percent, in Latvia at -2.0 percent and in Portugal and Slovakia both at 0.3 percent, while the highest were recorded in Hungary and Romania both at five percent, and in Greece at 3.5 percent.