The annual inflation rate in the European Union decreased in November to 11.1%, from 11.5% in October, but in eight member countries the consumer price index increased from one month to the next, including Romania, from 13.5% to 14.6%, according to the data published on Friday by Eurostat.

In November, the EU member countries with the highest inflation rates were Hungary (23.1%), Latvia (21.7%), Estonia and Lithuania (both with 21.4%). At the opposite pole, the EU member countries with the lowest annual inflation rates in November were Spain (6.7%), France (7.1%) and Malta (7.2%).

Compared to October, the annual inflation rate decreased in 16 member states, remained stable in three countries and increased in eight member states, including Romania, from 13.5% to 14.6%. No less than 18 EU member states, including Romania, recorded an annual inflation rate of more than 10% in September, according to Agerpres.

In the euro zone, the annual inflation rate decreased from 10.6% in October to 10.1% in November. It is the first time in the last 17 months that inflation in the euro zone has decreased, but nevertheless it continues to remain in the double digit zone. For the eurozone countries, the most significant impact on the annual price increase came from energy, where an increase of 3.82 percentage points was recorded, followed by the prices of food, alcoholic beverages and cigarettes which increased by 2.84 percentage points and the prices of services which registered an advance of 1.76 percentage points.

In the case of Romania, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) previously informed that the annual inflation rate rose to 16.8% in November 2022, from 15.32% in October, on the background of a 21.55% increase in the price of food products, non-food goods – by 16.17% and services – by 9.51%.