Annual inflation in the euro area was 1.9 percent in May this year, up from 1.3 percent in April, according to a report released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. In May last year, the annual inflation rate was 1.4 percent.
Meanwhile, in the European Union (EU-28) annual inflation was two percent in May, up from 1.5 percent in April. In May 2017, the annual inflation rate in the EU-28 was 1.6 percent.
The lowest inflation rates in May this year were observed in Ireland (0.7%) and Greece (0.8%), whereas the highest annual rates were recorded in Romania (4.6%) and Estonia (3.1%). Compared with April, annual inflation fell in one member state, remained stable in one and rose in 26.