Annual inflation in the eurozone in May 6.1 percent

(Patria) - In the euro area, inflation was measured at 6.1 percent year-on-year in May, after consumer prices rose by seven percent year-on-year in April, the European Statistical Office (Eurostat) announced in today's first estimate.

Inflation in May was highest in the segment of food, alcohol, and tobacco, and the growth of these prices fell from 13.5 percent in April to 12.5 percent.

Next are the prices of industrial products excluding energy, which in May were 5.8 percent higher than a year ago, while in April they were 6.2 percent higher.

Service prices, which were 5.2 percent higher year-on-year in April, were five percent higher in May than in the same month last year.

Energy prices, on the other hand, were 1.7 percent lower in May this year than in May last year, SEEbiz reports. In April, however, they were 2.4 percent higher than in April last year.

Among the countries using the euro for which Eurostat had data, Luxembourg (2.0 percent), Belgium (2.7 percent), and Spain (2.9 percent) recorded the lowest annual inflation in May.

The highest were in Latvia and Slovakia (12.3 percent) and Estonia (11.2 percent).

Excluding energy and food prices, inflation in the eurozone in May was somewhat moderate, amounting to 5.3 percent. Before that, it reached 5.6 percent in April. It was highest since the existence of the common European currency area in March with 5.7 percent.

In Slovenia, the annual growth of consumer prices last month was 8.1 percent, after it was 9.2 percent in April, according to Eurostat data.