Eurozone inflation rose in December as energy prices slightly ticked up, official data showed Tuesday, which experts said will likely push the European Central Bank to pursue its rate-cutting cycle more cautiously.

The governing council reiterated in December that the disinflation process is on track and that it expects to achieve its 2 per cent target in the medium term. Updated forecasts from then expect lower headline inflation rates of 2.1 per cent for 2025 and 1.9 per cent for 2026.

Inflation expectations among euro area consumers increased slightly in November, the latest Consumer Expectations Survey published by