Consumer prices fell in the EU in December

Consumer prices fell by 0.1 percent on an annual level last December in the European Union (EU) after the 0.3 percent increase in November – the EU's statistical office the Eurostat announced on Friday.

According to the communication on the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) in December 2014, inflation was negative in 16 EU Member States. Consumer prices declined in Greece the most, by 2.5 percent and in Bulgaria by 2 percent. In Spain a 1.1 percent decline in prices was measured.

The HICP increased the most in Romania by 1 percent on an annual comparision. The second largest increase was in Austria (0.8 percent), while the third largest was in Finland (0.6 percent).

According to Eurostat methodology, in Hungary consumer prices on an annual level fell by 0.8 percent in December, while rose by 0.1 percent in November. (MTI)