Inflation in Germany rose in August for the first time this year but slowed in France and Italy, official data showed Friday, as the European Central Bank weighs its next monetary policy moves.
Annual inflation in Germany, Europe鈥檚 biggest economy, came in at 2.2 per cent according to preliminary data from federal statistics agency Destatis, up from 2.0 per cent the previous month.
It was driven by rising food prices and still-high services costs, and above a figure of 2.1 per cent expected by analysts surveyed by financial data firm FactSet.
Under the 鈥榟armonised鈥� metric favoured by the ECB, consumer prices rose by 2.1 per cent.
French annual inflation meanwhile reached 0.9 per cent this month, down from 1.0 per cent in July, as transport and energy prices eased, the INSEE statistics agency said.
Under the harmonised rate, consumer prices rose by 0.8 per cent after 0.9 per cent in July.
Italy鈥檚 inflation rate slowed to 1.6 per cent in August from 1.7 per cent in July as the rise in energy prices eased.
The harmonised rate, however, was stable at 1.7 per cent.
In Spain, the harmonised inflation rate held steady at 2.7 per cent as fuel prices fell less than last year while food and electricity costs eased.
The ECB kept its interest rates steady in July as policymakers waited to see the impact of US President Donald Trump鈥檚 tariffs on goods from the eurozone.
Days after the ECB meeting, the European Union and the United States reached a trade deal that sets US tariffs on EU goods at 15 per cent, down from Trump鈥檚 threat of 30 per cent.
The ECB rate pause ended a streak of consecutive cuts stretching back to September 2024 that has brought its benchmark deposit rate to two per cent.
The central bank for the 20 countries that use the euro holds its next rate-setting meeting on September 11.
