Euro zone 12-month inflation eased slightly in May to 2.7% after hitting a 30-month peak of 2.8% in April, European Union data showed today.
Annual inflation in the EU 27 also eased to 3.2% in May, down from 3.3% in April, according to Eurostat, the EU's data agency.
While it was the sixth month in a row in which inflation was well above the 2% target set by the European Central Bank, it remains below the pre-crisis October 2008 level of 3.2%.
Fuelled by a spike in energy costs as well as for raw materials, inflation was highest in Romania with a 7.5% increase, followed by Greece with 4.8% and Estonia 4.5%.
The lowest 12-month change in consumer prices was registered in Ireland with a 0.2% drop, followed by Sweden with a 1.5% gain.
