EU annual consumer prices accelerated in January 2021 and euro area consumer prices increased for the first time since July 2020, while they remained unchanged in Croatia, Eurostat said in a report on Tuesday.

The EU annual inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), amounted to 1.2% in January 2021 compared to 0.3% in December 2020. In November 2020, the inflation rate was 1.7%.

The euro area annual inflation rate amounted to 0.9% after decreasing by 0.3% in December 2020, falling for the fifth month in a row. In January 2020, the inflation rate in the 19 euro area countries was 1.4%.

Prices in Croatia remain the same

In 20 EU member states consumer prices increased in January 2021 compared to January 2020 while they decreased in six states, compared to 13 states in which prices decreased in December 2020.

The highest annual rates were recorded in Poland (3.6%), Hungary (2.9%) and Czechia (2.2%), while the lowest rates were registered in Greece (-2.4%), Slovenia (-0.9%) and Cyprus (-0.8%).

In Croatia, consumer prices in January 2021 remained the same as in January 2020.