The European statistical office Eurostat reported today that the inflation rate in the euro zone peaked in March at 7.5 percent year on year.
This assessment appears in a context of war in Ukraine with influence over the entire continent, especially due to the sanctions imposed by the West on Russia.
In February, inflation was 5.9 percent for the 19 countries that adopted the single currency, a figure that already represented the highest level recorded by Eurostat since it began measuring consumer prices for that area in January 1997.
The rise in consumer prices continues to be fueled by increases in oil, gas and electricity prices even more markedly than before.
Power rates rose 44.7 percent year-on-year in March, after rising 32 percent in February, with all components of the index affected.
The increase in food prices (including alcohol and tobacco) accelerated last month, to 5.0 percent, after 4.2 in February.
Industrial goods rose 3.4 percent year-on-year in March (+3.1 percent the previous month). Services values did not increase as much (+2.7 in March, against +2.5 in February).