Annual inflation in the euro area was 0.7 percent in February this year, down from 0.8 percent in January, according to a report released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. In February 2013, the annual inflation rate was 1.8 percent. Meanwhile, monthly inflation in the euro area was 0.3 percent in February this year.
Meanwhile, in the European Union (EU-28) annual inflation was 0.8 percent in February, down from 0.9 percent in January. In February 2013, the annual inflation rate in the EU-27 was two percent, while the monthly inflation rate was 0.3 percent in February of the current year.
In February this year, annual inflation in the EU-28 fell in 17 states, remained stable in three and increased in seven states as compared with January. The lowest annual inflation rates were observed in Bulgaria (-2.1%), Cyprus (-1.3%), Greece (-0.9%), Croatia (-0.2%), Portugal and Slovakia (both -0.1%), while the highest were observed in Malta and Finland (both 1.6%) and Austria (1.5%).
The lowest 12-month averages up to the end of February this year were registered in Greece (-1.1%), Bulgaria (-0.3%) and Cyprus (-0.2%), while the highest were seen in Estonia (2.8 %), Romania (2.6%) and the Netherlands and Finland (both 2.1%).