Inflation in the 19-country bloc jumped to 1.8% last month from 1.1% the month before.

Data from Eurostat also showed that the eurozone's unemployment rate fell to 9.6% in December, the lowest rate since May 2009.

Eurozone GDP growth edged up to 0.5% in the fourth quarter of 2016, up from 0.4% in the previous quarter.
Core measure

The rise in eurozone inflation last month was driven by an 8.1% jump in energy prices in January compared with the year before.

The spike in the rate takes it up to the European Central Bank's inflation target of close to, but below, 2%.

Some have called for the European Central Bank to further scale back its bond-buying programme.

However, the ECB also looks at core inflation, which excludes energy and unprocessed food prices, in its policy decisions, and this rate remained unchanged at 0.9% in January.

In December, the ECB said it would buy bonds worth €60bn a month from April. The €80bn-a-month quantitative easing scheme had been due to end in March, but was expected to be extended.

The stimulus programme was an effort to increase the supply of money in the economic bloc to keep interest rates low, and encourage borrowing and spending.