The euro zone's harmonised index of consumer prices rose a final 1.6 pct year-on-year in October, unchanged from a provisional estimate, EU statistics office Eurostat said. The HICP rose 1.7 pct year-on-year in September. Month-on-month, the HICP rose 0.1 pct in October. Economists polled by AFX News had forecast a rise of 0.2 pct from September and a year-on-year increase of 1.6 pct. Eurostat said prices excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco -- its favoured measure of core inflation -- were up 1.5 pct year-on-year in October, unchanged from the September rate of increase. Prices excluding energy and unprocessed food rose 1.6 pct year-on-year, compared with an increase of 1.5 pct in September. This measure of core inflation is closely watched by the European Central Bank.