Annual German inflation fell more than forecast to 1.7 percent in January, the statistics office said Thursday. This compared with 2.1 percent in December. Analysts had expected the preliminary data would show annual consumer prices falling to 2 percent. The European Central Bank has set an annual inflation target of 2 percent for the 17-member eurozone. On a monthly basis, German consumer prices declined by 0.5 percent, after rising by 0.9 percent in December. The final data will be published on February 20, dpa reported.
