As a matter of fact, a number of statistical indicators show that the inflation differentials between the member states of EMU have widened somewhat again since the high-spot of the convergence process.
Thus, the spread between the highest and lowest inflation rate according to the Harmonised Consumer Price Index, which had been 0.7 percentage point in January 1998, rose to an average of 2 percentage points during 1999 (between Ireland with 2.5 % and Austria with 0.5 %).