In the OECD area, consumer prices rose by 2.4% in the year to March 2007, compared with 2.1% in the year to February 2007. On a monthly basis, the price level rose by 0.6% in March 2007 after 0.3% between January and February 2007.

Consumer prices for energy rose by 3.5% year-on-year in March, compared with 0.8% in February. Consumer prices for food were up by 3.2% year-on-year in March, compared with 2.9% in February. Excluding food and energy, consumer prices rose by 2.1% in the year to March, compared with 2.2% in February 2007.

In the euro area, the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) was up by 1.9% in the year to March, unchanged compared with the year to February. Month-on-month, the HICP in the euro area rose by 0.7% between February and March after 0.3% between January and February 2007. Excluding food and energy, the year-on-year rise in the HICP in the euro area amounted to 1.9% in March, unchanged compared with February.

In the United States, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 2.8% over the twelve months to March, after a year-on-year rise by 2.4% in February.

In Japan, consumer prices were down by 0.1% in March over a year earlier, after a decrease by 0.2% in the year to February.

Over the twelve months to March, consumer prices rose by 3.1% in the United Kingdom, 2.3% in Canada, 1.9% in Germany, 1.7% in Italy and 1.2% in France.