The lowest annual rates were registered in Malta (4.5 per cent), France (5.1 per cent) and Portugal (5.5 per cent).

The highest annual rates were recorded in Lithuania (15.6 per cent), Estonia (14.8 per cent) and the Czech Republic (11.9 per cent).

Compared with February, annual inflation fell in two member states and rose in 25.

In March, the highest contribution to the annual euro area inflation rate came from energy (plus 4.36 percentage points or pp).

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)