Annual inflation in the European Union (EU) continued to rise in May, reaching 2.3 per cent, up from 2.0 per cent in April, according to final data issued by the EU's statistical office, Eurostat, on Thursday.
Eurostat said the lowest annual rates were registered in Greece (-1.2 per cent), Malta (0.2 per cent) and Portugal (0.5 per cent).
The highest annual rates were recorded in Hungary (5.3 per cent), Poland (4.6 per cent) and Luxembourg (4 per cent), reports Xinhua.
The statistical office said a sharp spike in energy prices and more expensive services boosted consumer inflation, with energy prices adding 1.19 percentage points to the overall year-on-year figure and services 0.45 percentage points, while food, alcohol, and tobacco added 0.15 percentage points.