The European Union’s struggle to avoid a period of falling consumer prices suffered a setback in September, as the annual rate of inflation across the bloc’s 28 members fell to its lowest level in five years.

The EU’s statistics agency Thursday confirmed that across the 18 countries that share the euro, consumer prices rose by just 0.3% in the 12 months to September, the lowest annual rate of inflation since October 2009, and down from 0.4% in August. That confirmed a preliminary estimate released at the end of last month.

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