Inflation in the euro zone was steady in December at 3.1%, the European Union's Eurostat data agency said today, confirming a previous estimate.
The rate, which was also in line with economists' forecasts, leaves inflation well above the the European Central Bank's preferred level of close to but less than 2%.
The ECB has repeatedly sounded the alarm recently about inflation threats as the Frankfurt-based central bank faces a growing dilemma of keeping a lid on price growth without endangering increasingly weak economic activity.
Record oil and food prices have driven inflation recently to the highest levels in six and a half years just as economic growth in Europe begins to falter.
Although headline inflation has been soaring, underlying price growth has risen only slightly with Eurostat reporting that inflation excluding volatile energy food, alcohol and tobacco prices was stable in December for the third month running at 1.9%.
In the 27-nation EU, inflation rose in December to 3.2% from 3.1% in November.
