In the OECD area, consumer prices rose by 2.2% in the year to April 2007, compared with 2.4% in the year to March 2007. On a monthly basis, the price level rose by 0.5% in April 2007 after 0.6% between February and March 2007.

Consumer prices for energy rose by 1.9% year-on-year in April, compared with 3.5% in March. Consumer prices for food were up by 3.6% year-on-year in April, compared with 3.2% in March. Excluding food and energy, consumer prices rose by 2.1% in the year to April, unchanged compared with March 2007.

In the euro area, the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) was up by 1.9% in the year to April, unchanged compared with the year to March. Month-on-month, the HICP in the euro area rose by 0.6% between March and April after 0.7% between February and March 2007. Excluding food and energy, the year-on-year rise in the HICP in the euro area amounted to 1.9% in April, unchanged compared with March.

In the United States, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 2.6% over the twelve months to April, after a year-on-year rise by 2.8% in March.

In Japan, consumer prices remained stable year-on-year in April after a decrease by 0.1% in the year to March.

Over the twelve months to April, consumer prices rose by 2.8% in the United Kingdom, 2.2% in Canada, 1.9% in Germany, 1.5% in Italy and 1.3% in France.