Annual inflation eased to 1.8 percent, the data from statistics office INSEE showed, suggesting the risk of a recent acceleration in prices becoming more entrenched has yet to materialise in the euro zone's second largest economy. Inflation based on EU-harmonised methods of measurement was 1.8 percent, compared to 1.9 percent in January and to an average forecast of 1.9 percent by economists polled in advance by Reuters.
The month-on-month price rise for February was 0.5 percent in EU-harmonised terms.
"Inflation worry is widespread but it (the rate) remains at the low-tide mark in France," said Alexander law, an economist at Xerfi, a business consultancy.
"February price developments offer no justification for preventive rise in (ECB) interest rates.