VILNIUS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania recorded one of the highest annual inflation rates in the European Union (EU) in March, according to figures published by Eurostat on Thursday.
Harmonized annual inflation in Lithuania reached 4.4 percent, placing it among the fastest price increases in the bloc. Only Croatia, at 4.6 percent, and Romania, at 9 percent, reported higher rates.
Among the Baltic states, Lithuania outpaced its neighbors, compared with 3.4 percent in Latvia and 3.5 percent in Estonia.
Eurostat data show that Lithuania's relatively high inflation was mainly driven by services and food-related prices, which continued to contribute the largest upward pressure on the overall index.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices in Lithuania rose 1.5 percent in March. Prices increased more sharply in Latvia, by 1.9 percent, while remaining unchanged in Estonia.
Across the EU bloc, annual inflation averaged 2.8 percent, while the eurozone recorded 2.6 percent, Eurostat said. Month-on-month, prices rose by 1.1 percent in the EU and 1.3 percent in the eurozone. ■