PARIS (Reuters) – Inflation in the eurozone accelerated unexpectedly in December to reach a new all-time high, figures released by Eurostat on Friday show.
The rise in consumer prices in the 19 countries using the single currency was 5% year on year in December, after rising 4.9% the previous month, as economists polled by Reuters expected a rate of inflation of 4.7%.
The increase in energy prices is estimated at 26% year on year, which marks a slight slowdown after the increase of 27.5% the previous month, said Eurostat. The prices of food, alcohol and tobacco should have increased by 3.2% over one year (against + 2.2% in November) and those of industrial goods excluding energy by 2.9% (after + 2.4%).
So-called core inflation, that is to say excluding energy and unprocessed food products, increased by 2.7% year-on-year against 2.6% in November.
An even narrower measure that also excludes alcohol and tobacco is up 2.6% year-on-year, as in the previous month.
(Written by Laetitia Volga, edited by Blandine Hénault)
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