imageBRUSSELS: Eurozone inflation rose to 0.9 percent in November from a four-year low of 0.7 percent in October, and rose 1.0 percent across the 28-nation European Union, Eurostat confirmed on Tuesday.

The data eases concerns that the bloc risks a damaging cycle of falling prices.

The figures showed energy prices continued to fall in November, down 1.1 percent after a drop of 1.7 percent in October, while food, drinks and alcohol rose 1.6 percent, compared with a gain of 1.9 percent.

The debt crisis has savaged growth and jobs in the 17-nation single currency eurozone, with government austerity policies sucking demand out of the economy.

Inflation has fallen steadily as a result -- it ran at 2.2 percent in November 2012 -- and October's reading had sparked a flurry of concern that deflation, or falling prices in real terms, was looming.

Deflation is a key risk as it encourages consumers to put off buying goods in the expectation that if they wait, they will become cheaper.

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