BRUSSELS (AFX) - The euro zone harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) rose 0.5 pct in April from March, and was up 2.9 pct year-on-year, the EU statistics office Eurostat said.
In March, it had risen 0.4 pct from February and was up 2.6 pct year-on-year.
In the EU, HICP also rose by 0.5 pct in April from March and was up 2.6 pct year-on-year, compared with March rises of 0.4 pct from February and 2.3 pct year-on-year, Eurostat said.
In an AFX News poll this week, economists put the euro zone's monthly rise in April at 0.3-0.4 pct and the year-on-year increase at 2.7-2.9 pct.
Eurostat said food rose 1.0 pct in April from March and was up 4.8 pct year-on-year, housing was up 0.1 pct in the month but 4.4 pct year-on-year, while hotels/restaurants were up 0.8 pct and 3.1 pct respectively. Excluding energy, HICP was up 0.4 pct in the month and 2.5 pct year-on-year, energy was up 1.0 pct in the month and 7.8 pct year-on-year, while the food, alcohol and tobacco group was up 0.9 pct in the month and 4.4 pct year-on-year, Eurostat said. The sharpest annual rises were in the Netherlands with 5.3 pct, Portugal 4.6 pct and Ireland 4.3 pct, though the last was down from 5.0 pct in April 2000, it noted.