Euro zone headline inflation eased slightly in January, flash figures published by the European Union's statistics agency showed on Thursday, while core figures declined less than expected.
Inflation stood at 2.9% in December, up from 2.4% in November, largely due to the wind-down of energy price support measures.
By sector, services inflation — an important gauge for policymakers due to its link to domestic wage pressures — held steady at 4%.
Preliminary figures out earlier this week showed inflation in Germany easing slightly more than had been forecast, reaching 3.1%.
"However, core inflation only inched lower, with services especially coming in quite hot.
Persons:
Janis, Price, Christine Lagarde, Kamil Kovar, Kovar
Organizations:
Reuters, Inflation, European Central Bank, ECB, Moody's
Locations:
Cais, Lisbon, Portugal, Germany