Two women hold an umbrella as they sit at the outdoor table of a cafe on April 1, 2024 in Rome, Italy.
Emmanuel Cremaschi | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Inflation in the 20-nation euro zone slowed to 2.4% in March, according to flash figures released on Wednesday.
Economists polled by Reuters expected the rate to remain stable from the previous month, at 2.6%.
The underlying rate, excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, fell from 3.1% to 2.9%, also below expectations.
Services inflation, a key observer for the European Central Bank, stood at 4% for a fifth consecutive month.
Price increases in France and Spain were lower than expected last week. On Tuesday, headline inflation in the bloc’s largest economy, Germany, was estimated at 2.2%, its lowest level in three years.
Another ECB indicator published on Wednesday, the euro zone unemployment rate, stood at 6.5% in February, stable compared to January but down compared to 6.6% in February 2023.
This is breaking news and will be updated shortly.
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