Inflation in the eurozone rose above the target level of the European Central Bank, data showed on Friday, heaping further pressure on the ECB to scale back its crisis-era stimulus.

Eurostat said consumer prices in the 19-country single currency bloc edged higher to 2.1 percent in September, just higher than the ECB's target of near or lower than two percent. However, closely watched core inflation -- which strips out energy, food, alcohol and tobacco -- fell to 0.9 percent in September, from 1.0 percent in the previous month.

The ECB is firmly under pressure to end its stimulus programme that is blamed for imposing a long period of low interest rates that has punished savers and failed to boost growth to desired levels.

Introduced in 2015, the mass bond-buying scheme currently sees the bank buy 30 billion euros ($35.1 billion) of government and corporate bonds per month, aiming to pump cash through the financial system to stoke lending, economic growth and inflation.