In total, 216 questionnaires were excluded from analysis due to: no parent/child dyad linkage, incomplete core data items (such as demographic indicators or consumption of alcohol), or age of the child exceeding the inclusion criterion (over 18 years).
The figures, an early "flash" estimate from the European statistics office, showed core inflation, which excludes the effect of volatile items such as food, alcohol and tobacco, edging down to 0.5% this month from 0.7% in December.
Economists also point to core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as energy, and has stuck around just 0.8% since the summer, suggesting there is little underlying upward pressure on prices.
This week, Standard & Poor's created a stir when it announced a new definition of "core earnings" that would include items such as the estimated cost of stock options that companies prefer to leave out.
Core inflation, which strips out volatile items such as food and energy, rose from 0.8%to1.2%2%.
Core inflation, which strips out volatile items such as energy and food prices, eased to 2.9% in February, from 3.1% in January.
It was notable that so-called core inflation – which strips out volatile items such as oil, food and alcohol – ticked down in February to 1.2 per cent, down from 1.4 per cent in the previous month.
The core rate of inflation, which excludes volatile items, such as energy and food, eased last month to 0.8% from 0.9% in May.
One big worry is that "core" CPI inflation (which leaves out volatile items such as energy and food costs) rose in December to 2.8%, its highest on record.
The core rate of inflation, which strips out volatile items such as food and energy, edged down to 1.0% in August from 1.2% in July.
