Eurostat: Romania still the country with the highest inflation in the EU

The annual inflation rate in the European Union continued to fall in April to 2.4%, down from 2.5% in the previous month, but Romania is still the country with the highest inflation, with an annual price increase of 4.9%, data published on Monday by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat) show.   Last month, the EU member states with the lowest annual rates of inflation were France (0.9%), Cyprus (1.4%) and Denmark (1.5%). At the other end, the EU member states with the highest rates of inflation were Romania (4.9%), Estonia (4.4%) and Hungary (4.2%).Compared to the situation of March 2025, the annual rate of inflation dropped in 13 member states including in Romania (from 5.1% down to 4.9%) remained stable in three countries and increased in seven member states.In the euro zone, the annual rate of inflation was 2.2% in April, established comparatively with the previous month. The highest contribution to the annual rate of inflation in the euro zone came from services (1.80%), followed by food, alcohol and tobacco (0.57%). In exchange, prices for energy dropped with 0.35%.In Romania, according to the data published recently by the National Institute for Statistics (INS), the annual rate of inflation stagnated, in April at 4.9% and the most significant increases of price were in the sector of services which reported a growth of prices of 6.83%.'The consumer price index in April 2025 compared to March 2025 was 100.07%. The year-to-date inflation rate (April 2025 compared to December 2024) was 2.2%. The annual inflation rate in April 2025 compared to April 2024 was 4.9%. The average rate of change in consumer prices over the last 12 months (May 2024 to April 2025) compared with the previous 12 months (May 2023 to April 2024) was 5.0%', the release from the INS said. The harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP), an indicator for EU Member States' inflation, was 100.21% in April 2025 compared with the previous month and the annual inflation rate in April 2025 compared with April 2024, calculated on the basis of the harmonised index of consumer prices, was 4.9%.   The average rate of change in consumer prices over the last 12 months (May 2024 to April 2025) compared with the previous 12 months (May 2023 to April 2024) determined on the basis of HICP was 5.3 per cent, the source said.   The National Bank of Romania (NBR) has revised up its inflation forecast for the end of 2025 to 3.8% from 3.5% previously and expects it to reach 3.1% at the end of 2026, according to data presented in February by NBR Governor Mugur Isarescu.