Inflation in the Eurozone thus remains above the two percent target of the European Central Bank (ECB).
It started raising interest rates in July last year with the aim of bringing inflation under control, but last October it stopped raising interest rates. Since then, it has kept its prime rate at 4.50 percent.
The annual rate of so-called core inflation, which excludes energy, food, alcohol and tobacco prices, fell to 2.7 percent in April in the euro zone from 2.9 percent in the previous month. This supported expectations that the ECB could start cutting interest rates in June.
At its meeting this month, the ECB Governing Council again left interest rates unchanged, in line with expectations. However, she signaled that their reduction is imminent.
The head of the ECB, Christine Lagarde, also indicated that the eurozone would not have to wait for the US central bank (Fed) to cut interest rates.
According to Eurostat estimates, Belgium reported the highest year-on-year inflation rate among countries using the euro in April, where consumer prices increased by 4.9 percent. Conversely, inflation was the lowest in Lithuania, where prices rose by only 0.4 percent.
In the Czech Republic, which is not a member of the eurozone, consumer prices increased by two percent year-on-year in March. Inflation thus remained at the February level. The Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) will publish data on April inflation on May 13.
The Germans maintained prices, inflation remained at two percent
Economy
