Eurozone¹ annual inflation² is expected to be 3.6% in September 2008 according to a flash estimate issued by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union. It was 3.8% in August.

The target rate of the European Central Bank is "below but close to" 2%.

Computation of flash estimates

Eurozone inflation is measured by the Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices (MUICP). To compute the MUICP flash estimates, Eurostat uses early price information relating to the reference month from Member States for which data are available³ as well as early information about energy prices.

The flash estimation procedure for the MUICP combines historical information with partial information on price developments in the most recent months to give a total index for the Eurozone. No detailed breakdown is available. Experience has shown the procedure to be reliable (14 times exactly anticipating the inflation rate and 10 times differing by 0.1 over the last two years).

1. The Member States of the Eurozone are Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia and Finland.

2. Annual inflation is the price change between the current month and the same month of the previous year.

3. The MUICP flash estimate usually includes early price information representing approximately 95% of the Eurozone total consumption expenditure weight