Inflation in Germany, the euro zone's biggest economy, slowed last month, as falling food and tourism prices offset persistently high oil and energy prices, final data showed today.
The German consumer price index (CPI) slipped by 0.3% in September from the figure for August and was 1.8% higher than it had been in September 2003, the federal statistics office Destatis said. The 12-month rate of inflation was therefore slower this month than the 2% recorded in August.
The numbers confirmed preliminary cost-of-living data for September published at the end of last month. The statisticians said that surging oil prices boosted headline inflation for the sixth month in a row in September.
Excluding oil and petrol, German inflation would have stood at 1.4% on a 12-month basis. Nevertheless, falling food prices had a dampening effect, with vegetable prices down by 11.2% year-on-year.
