Inflation gap with euro area widens further

7 January 2008

MADRID – The European Union’s statistics office Eurostat said Friday it estimated the consumer price inflation in the euro zone in December was unchanged from the previous month at 3.1 percent.

The Spanish National Securities Institute on Thursday estimated the harmonised index of consumer prices in the last month of last year climbed to 4.3 percent from 4.1 percent in November. That was the highest rate of inflation in Spain in over a decade.

As a result, the inflation differential between Spain and the euro zone widened to 1.2 points in December from 1.0 points the previous month.

Subject: Spanish news