Euro area annual inflation stable at 0.2%
Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 0.2% in December 2015, stable compared to November 2015, according to a flash estimate from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Looking at the main components of euro area inflation, food, alcohol & tobacco is expected to have the highest annual rate in December (1.2%, compared with 1.5% in November), followed by services (1.1%, compared with 1.2% in November), non-energy industrial goods (0.5%, stable compared with November) and energy (-5.9%, compared with -7.3% in November).
Geographical coverage
The euro area consists of Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland. The euro area data refer to the country composition at a specific point in time. New Member States are integrated into the aggregate using a chain index formula.
Methods and definitions
Annual inflation is the change of the price level between the current month and the same month of the previous year.
Revisions and timetable
The euro area inflation flash estimate is issued at the end of each reference month. The complete set of harmonised indices of consumer prices (HICP) for the euro area, EU and Member States is released around the middle of the month following the reference month. The next release with full data for December 2015 is scheduled for 19 January 2016.
Source: Eurostat
