Euro zone inflation eased to 2.6% in February figures showed on Friday 1st March 2024, but both the headline and core figures were higher than expected.
Core inflation
Core inflation, removing the volatile elements of energy, food, alcohol and tobacco was 3.1% above the 2.9% rate expected.
The February figures will be a headache for EU policymakers, as core inflation is still holding above 3% even as the headline rate moves toward the ECB’s 2% target.