Euro Area Annual Consumer Inflation Rate In March Confirmed At 2.4%

The eurozone's annual consumer inflation rate in March was confirmed at 2.4%, according to a second reading released on Wednesday.

The annual rise in consumer prices eased for the third consecutive month from 2.6% in February, Eurostat data showed.

Core inflation, excluding volatile food and energy prices, cooled to 2.9% in March from 3.1% in February.

Energy prices fell at a slower pace in March, 1.8% year-on-year, compared to February's 3.7% decline.

The cost of food rose 2.6% from last year versus a 3.9% rise in February.

Annual inflation in the EU also eased for the third straight month in March, reaching 2.6%.

The lowest annual rates were seen in Lithuania (0.4%), Finland (0.6%), and Denmark (0.8%), while the highest were in Romania (6.7%), Croatia (4.9%), and Estonia and Austria (both 4.1%).

On a monthly basis, the eurozone's consumer price index rose 0.8% in March, meeting the initial estimate.

The eurozone/euro area, or EA19, represents member states that use the single currency – the euro – while the EU27 includes all member countries of the bloc.​​​​​​​ -