German inflation back in black in May as prices rise by 0.1%: stats office

[FRANKFURT] Inflation in Germany was back in positive territory in May, as rising prices for rents and services outweighed falling energy prices, a preliminary estimate showed on Monday.

The federal statistics Destatis calculated that Germany's national inflation yardstick, the consumer price index, edged up by 0.1 per cent in May after falling by 0.1 per cent the previous month.

Using the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) - the barometer used by the European Central Bank - the inflation rate stood at zero percent in May after minus 0.3 per cent in April.

The inflation data were a preliminary flash estimate calculated from consumer price data for six of Germany's 16 regional states.

Final data based on all 16 states will be published on June 10.

AFP