Euro zone annual inflation was at 2.5 per cent for March, up from 2.4 per cent in February, according to figures from EU statistics office Eurostat.
The euro zone's harmonised index of consumer prices rose 2.5 per cent year-on-year in March, it said in its early or "flash" estimate.
That estimate uses early price information from member states for which data are available as well as early information about energy prices.
It said simulations have shown the procedure to be reliable. Over the last two years, the "flash" estimate has 13 times correctly anticipated the full estimate, nine times differing by 0.1 per cent and twice by 0.2 per cent, it said.
But the March estimate carries greater uncertainty than past performance would indicate because major structural change - like the introduction of the euro - is likely to affect the performance of the estimation procedure, the report said.