Eurostat: Romania among EU countries with highest inflation in December

The annual EU inflation rate grew in December 2021 to 5.3% , to 5.2% in November 2021, member countries with the highest rates being Estonia (12%), Lithuania (10.7%), Poland (8%), Latvia (7.9%), Hungary (7.4%) and Romania (6.7%), according to data released by Eurostat on Thursday.   The annual inflation rate grew in December 2021, compared to November 2021, in 18 member states, it dropped in another 7 states and remained stable in 2 states – France and Romania, where the annual inflation rate remained stable at 6.7%.   In the euro area, the annual inflation rate grew to a record level of 5% in December , from 4.9% in November. Compared to a year before, the inflation rate I the euro zone was minus 0.3%. For states in the euro zone, the most significant impact on the annual price increase came from energy, where a 2.46% increase was recorded, flowed by prices for services which recorded an increase of 1.02%.   Eurostat data also show that core inflation in the euro zone indicates what remains after prices for volatile goods such as energy and food are eliminated, grew by 0.4% from one month to another and by 2,4% at annual rate. Also, an indicator which besides prices for energy and food excludes prices for cigarettes, grew by 2.6% at annual rate. Core inflation is the indicator followed attentively by BCE in elaborating its monetary policy decisions.   Christine Lagarde, the president of the Central European Bank, declared on Thursday that inflation in the euro area will be stabilized and will gradually drop during 2022. “According to our December estimates, in 2022 inflation will be 3.2%”, Lagarde said.   In Romania's case, the National Statistics Institute informed that the annual inflation rate had been 8.19% in December 2021, from 7.8% in November, in conditions when, prices of non food goods went up by 10.73%, food by 6.69%, and services by 4.49%. INS pointed out that consumer price index in December 2021 compared to November 2021 was 100.51%.   The annual inflation rate in December 2021, compared to December 2020, was 6.7%. According to the latest BNR Report on inflation, released in November, the annual IPC inflation rate was 7.5% in December 2021 and is foreseen to drop to 5.9% at the end of the year.