The Eurostat early estimate for August inflation shows the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices up 2.1 per cent.

According to the European harmonised index - which excludes the mortgage effect - inflation was running at 2.2 per cent in December.

The EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) also fell from 2.4 per cent in December to 2.1 per cent in January.

The euro zone's harmonised index of consumer prices rose 2.5 per cent year-on-year in March, it said in its early or "flash" estimate.