Malta's inflation rate lower than EU average

Malta's annual inflation rate last December was 0.5 per cent less than the EU average, according to Eurostat, the EU's statistical arm.

Malta's annual inflation rate in December stood at 1.9 per cent when the average rate of inflation of the EU25 was 2.4 per cent.

Malta's annual inflation rate in December was the same as in the month before but lower than that for October and September when inflation stood at 2.7 per cent and 3.2 per cent respectively.

According to Eurostat, the lowest annual rates in December were registered in Finland (0.1 per cent), Sweden (0.9 per cent), Denmark (one per cent) and the Netherlands (1.2 per cent).

The highest rates were in Latvia (7.4 per cent), Slovakia (5.8 per cent), Hungary (5.5 per cent) and Estonia (4.8 per cent).

Compared with November 2004, annual inflation rose in seven member states, fell in 13 and remained stable in four, as in Malta's case.