The annual rate of inflation in the eurozone jumped to a six month high in October, led by a huge spike in clothes prices. Inflation, as measured by the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP), rose to 2.3pc last month from 2.1pc in September, EU statistics office Eurostat said. The rise marks an upward revision from the provisional estimate of a rise of 2.2pc and is above the ECB's upper limit of 2.0pc. Inflation was last higher in April - at 2.4pc - before dropping to 2.0pc in May. On a month-on-month basis in October, inflation, as measured by the HICP, rose 0.3pc. Clothing prices surged 2.1pc on the month as the summer sales ended, the cost of education rose 1.2pc, transport costs increased by 0.3pc and housing rose 0.3pc. Ireland's rate of inflation in October remained the highest in Europe, at 4.6pc, double the eurozone average. The Netherlands and Greece posted the second and third highest rates, at 4.2pc and 3.8pc, respectively. The lowest annual figures in the EU were up in the UK, 1.1pc, Germany, 1.4pc, and Belgium and Austria, both 1.7pc. //www.fxcentre.com