Consumer prices in the OECD area rose by 2.9% in the year to April 2011, compared with 2.7% in March - the highest rate since October 2008. The increase was driven by an acceleration in energy prices which grew by 13.8% in April, compared with 12.4% in March. Food prices rose by 3.1% in April, compared with 3.2% in March.

Consumer prices, selected areas
April 2011, percentage change on the same month of the previous year


Excluding food and energy, consumer prices rose by 1.6 % in April 2011, compared with 1.4% in March - the highest rate since January 2010.

Inflation accelerated strongly in the United Kingdom (to 4.5% in April, up from 4.0% in March) and the United States (to 3.2%, up from 2.7%). It also accelerated in Germany (to 2.4% up from 2.1%), Italy (to 2.6%, up from 2.5%), France (to 2.1%, up from 2.0%) and Japan (to 0.3%, after four consecutive months at 0.0%) but was stable in Canada (3.3%). Euro area annual inflation (HICP) rose to 2.8%, up from 2.7% in April.

The picture was mixed in other major non-OECD economies, with some countries showing falls in the rate of inflation compared to last month. Consumer prices rose by 9.6% in the Russian Federation (up from 9.4% in March), 6.5% in Brazil (up from 6.3%) and 4.2% in South Africa (up from 4.1%). Inflation fell to 6.2% in Indonesia (down from 6.7%) and 5.3% in China (down from 5.4%).

Compared to the previous month, consumer prices in the OECD area rose by 0.5% in April 2011. They rose by 1.0% in the United Kingdom, 0.6% in the United States, 0.5% in Italy, 0.3% in Canada, France and Japan and 0.2% in Germany.