Same photograph of February 2012 and March 2011. Last month in theEurozone the annual rate of inflation has remained stable both compared to the previous month (February 2012) and to the same period last year (March 2011), marking a +2,7%. This is the figure that emerges from the final estimate by Eurostat, released this morning. Slightly higher than the price increase of theEU 27 countries, with a rate of 2,9% in March 2012, unchanged from February. One year ago, in March 2011, inflation was 3,1% in the EU 27.
The Italian data is in third position, with an inflation rate that marked +3,8% in March. In first place Estonia (+4,7%) and Slovakia (+3,9%). Germany (+2,3%) and France (+2,6%) were below the European average and prices rose even less in Greece (+1,4%) and Spain (+1,8%). ).
In March the prices of transport (+4,6% on an annual basis) and housing (+4%) increased above all due to the increase in energy costs, but also alcoholic beverages and tobacco (+4,4%). On the other hand, prices in the communications sector are down (-2,8%) while those for culture (+0,7%) and education (+0,9%) increase slightly.
Considering instead the monthly trend of the prices of 17 Euro countries, they are detected significant increases in the apparel sector and footwear and in that of fuels for transport, while the prices of bars and restaurants and more generally those of leisure time have decreased.
