GREEK inflation sank to its lowest level in at least 25 years in December, giving the country an early boost in the year when it plans to qualify for the euro.

The National Statistics Service said yesterday that consumer price inflation slowed to 3.9% year-on-year last month

compared with 4.2% in

November.

December's performance outstripped the official government projection of 4% at the end of 1998, although the 3.9% figure had been widely factored in by financial markets.

For the whole of 1998, average inflation ran at 4.8%, down from 5.5% in 1997 and 8.2% in 1996, the government said.

Finance Minister Yannos Papandoniou said Greece was on track to meet its target of a year-on-year average of 2.0% at the end of this year.