In spite of the alarms at the start of the year, the latest data published by Eurostat on inflation register a slight decline of the annual rate in the Euro zone for March 2006 (2.2%) compared with the previous month (2.3%), thus confirming the positive trend begun in February and the rapid estimate of consumer price indexes published in February. Alarms about the inflation rate in the 25-member EU have also been downplayed in the light of the latest figures: 2.1% in March 2006 compared with 2.2% in February and 2.1% in March 2005. At the monthly level, however, the figures show a rise in the price of clothing, transport (fuel), heating (gas and liquid fuels), tobacco and alcoholic beverages. On the other hand, over the last thirty days, the price of rented accommodation, meat, cars, communications, entertainment and culture has fallen. Poland is confirmed as the one country in the EU with a monthly inflation rate lower than one percentage point (0.9%). Sweden – with the same rate – is at the top of the annual inflation rate. At the bottom of the table are Latvia (7.9%), Estonia (4.0%) and Spain (3.9%).
