BRUSSELS, May 16 (UPI) -- The inflation rate dropped to 1.2 percent in the 17-member eurozone in April, the European Commission's data agency Eurostat said Thursday.
The drop, from a rate of 1.7 percent in March, was expected by economists and predicted in a preliminary Eurostat estimate from April.
Inflation slowed to 1.4 percent in the 27-member European Union, Eurostat said.
In the eurozone, prices excluding energy items rose 1.4 percent on an annualized basis in April. Prices for all items excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco items rose 1 percent.
The inflation rate has dropped in all categories since March, Eurostat said.
Core prices in the eurozone -- prices minus energy, food, alcohol and tobacco -- were rising at an annual rate of 1.5 percent in March. Prices excluding just energy were rising at a rate of 1.8 percent in March.
Around the region in April, inflation was highest in the Estonia at 3.4 percent at an annual rate. In descending order, the next highest inflation rates were found in the Netherlands at 2.8 percent, Finland at 2.4 percent and Austria at 2.1 percent. Including members of the European Union, Romania had the highest rate in the month at 4.4 percent on an annual basis.
The annual inflation rate in April was less than 1 percent in Malta, Cyprus, Portugal, Bulgaria, Denmark, Poland and Sweden, at zero in Sweden, and less than zero in Latvia and Greece.
