Eurostat: Estonia's annual inflation fastest in euro area also in March

TALLINN - Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 2.2 percent in March 2025, down from 2.3 percent in February, while in Estonia, inflation is estimated to have decelerated by 0.8 percentage points to 4.3 percent, which marks the most rapid rise in the euro area for the second consecutive month, according to a flash estimate from Eurostat.

Among euro area member states, inflation is expected to be at the same level as in Estonia, 4.3 percent, in Croatia and Slovakia. They are followed by Belgium, Latvia, and Lithuania, each with 3.6 percent, Eurostat reported.

The slowest inflation is expected to be in France at 0.9 percent, followed by Luxembourg at 1.5 percent. In Ireland, the rate estimate is 1.8 percent, and in Finland and Portugal, 1.9 percent.

Looking at the main components of euro area inflation, services is expected to have the highest annual rate in March, 3.4 percent, followed by food, alcohol & tobacco, 2.9 percent, non-energy industrial goods, 0.6 percent, and energy, -0.7 percent.