BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Eurozone's headline inflation and core price growth was unchanged in December, preliminary data from Eurostat showed on Thursday.
The harmonized consumer price index, or HICP, dropped 0.3 percent year-on-year, same as in November. Economists had forecast a 0.2 percent fall.
The core CPI, which excludes prices of food, energy and alcohol & tobacco, rose 0.2 percent year-on-year, same as in November. That was in line with economists' expectations.
Compared to the previous month, the headline HICP climbed 0.3 percent and the core index rose 0.4 percent in December.
Among the main components, the highest annual inflation rate was for the food, alcohol & tobacco group. The rate of inflation eased to 1.4 percent from 1.9 percent in the previous month.
Services cost inflation rose to 0.7 percent from 0.6 percent in November. Prices of non-energy industrial goods decreased 0.5 percent after a 0.3 percent fall in November.
Energy prices dropped 6.9 percent, which was slower than the 8.3 percent decline in the previous month.
The full HICP data for December is set to be released on January 20.
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