Sept. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Belgian inflation eased for a second month in September, helped by the declining cost of vacations and hotel rooms.

The inflation rate in Belgium, the sixth-largest economy in the euro region, slowed to 3.55 percent from 3.6 percent in August, the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Brussels said today in an e-mailed statement. The August rate fell from 3.8 percent in July, the highest since October 2008.

Inflation this month was mainly driven by the higher cost of gas, motor fuel and heating oil, the ministry said. Excluding energy, inflation slowed to 1.68 percent this month from 1.81 percent in August, according to today’s report.

--Editor: Jones Hayden

To contact the reporter on this story: Andrew Clapham in Brussels at aclapham@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Angela Cullen at acullen8@bloomberg.net