Industrial producer prices rose by 0.3 percent in March compared with the previous month in the 19-country eurozone, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU) said on Tuesday.

In the wider 28-member EU, the indicator rose by 0.4 percent in March 2016.

In February, the prices decreased by 0.8 percent in the eurozone and by 0.6 percent in the EU.

Eurostat estimated that the increase was due to rises of 1.2 percent in the energy sector and of 0.2 percent for durable consumer goods. Prices remained stable for capital goods while they fell by 0.1 percent for both intermediate goods and non-durable consumer goods.

Figures showed industrial producer prices in the current month fell by 4.2 percent in the euro area and by 4.1 percent in the EU on a yearly base.

Among the member states of the EU, the largest monthly increases in industrial producer prices were observed in Greece (1.8 percent), Estonia (1.6 percent), Belgium (1.4 percent), and Britain (1.2 percent), and the largest decreases in Cyprus ((minus 1.6 percent ), Lithuania and Slovakia (both minus 0.7 percent).