The annual figure was expected by analysts but still represents a substantial increase from 2.9 percent in July. The rise is mainly due to energy prices increasing by 14.3 percent year on year in August.
Among individual countries, inflation is particularly notable in Spain, at 4.5 percent, compared with 3.9 percent in July. The highest inflation rates are still in Lithuania, at 5.8 percent, and Bulgaria, at 5.7 percent.
