Euro-zone annual inflation rose from 2.1% in September 2002 to 2.3% in October1 2002, Eurostat – the Statistical Office of the European Communities in Luxembourg – reports today. A year earlier the rate was 2.3%.
EU15 annual inflation rose from 1.9% in September to 2.1% in October 2002. A year earlier the rate was 2.2%. EEA annual inflation was 2.1% in October 2002.
Inflation in Member States
In October, the highest annual rates were recorded in Ireland (4.4%), Portugal (4.1%) and Spain (4.0%); the lowest rates were observed in Belgium and Germany (both 1.3%) and the United Kingdom (1.4%).
Compared with September 2002, annual inflation rose in twelve Member States, fell in two and remained stable in one. Compared with October 2001, the biggest relative falls were in Sweden (2.9% to 1.7%), Germany (2.0% to 1.3%) and Belgium (1.9% to 1.3%) and the biggest relative rises were in Spain (2.5% to 4.0%), Luxembourg (1.7% to 2.5%) and Denmark (2.0% to 2.7%).
Lowest 12-month averages2 up to October 2002 were in the United Kingdom (1.1%), Germany (1.4%), Belgium and Austria (both 1.7%); highest were in Ireland (4.6%), the Netherlands (4.2%) and Greece (3.8%).
USA and Switzerland
In Switzerland annual inflation rose from 0.5% in September to 1.2% in October 2002. Data from the USA were not yet available in time for publication. These indices are not strictly comparable with EU harmonized indices.
(source: Eurostat)
