Inflation Slows in Key German States

Inflation in Germany, the eurozone's biggest economy, looked set to slow this month as a result of easing energy prices, according to a survey of key German states. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the country's most populous state, the consumer price index (CPI) fell by 0.4 percent in November from the figure for October and was 1.7 percent higher than it had been in November 2003, the regional statistics office in Duesseldorf said in a statement. The 12-month inflation figure was therefore slower than the 1.9 percent recorded the previous month. The data mirrored that for the five other key regional states -- Hesse, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Saxony. (AFP)