Food, alcohol and tobacco prices rose at a softer 1 percent, compared with 1.9 percent in the previous month, mainly due to a drop in unprocessed food prices (-0.9 percent vs 1.1 percent in January). Also, inflation slowed for processed food, alcohol and tobacco (2.3 percent vs 2.5 percent) and energy (2.1 percent vs 2.2 percent), while it was flat for non-energy industrial goods (at 0.6 percent). On the other hand, services prices increased faster (1.3 percent vs 1.2 percent).
Among Eurozone's largest economies, the highest annual rate was registered in France (1.3 percent), followed by Germany (1.2 percent), Spain (1.2 percent) and Italy (0.5 percent).
Annual core inflation, which excludes volatile prices of energy, food, alcohol and tobacco and at which the ECB looks in its policy decisions, was confirmed at 1 percent in February, the same as in the previous month.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.2 percent in February, following a 0.9 percent fall in January and matching market consensus.