BRUSSELS, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Annual inflation in the European Union (EU) continued to rise in May, reaching 2.3 percent, up from 2 percent in April, according to final data issued by the EU's statistical office, Eurostat, on Thursday.
Eurostat said the lowest annual rates were registered in Greece (-1.2 percent), Malta (0.2 percent) and Portugal (0.5 percent). The highest annual rates were recorded in Hungary (5.3 percent), Poland (4.6 percent) and Luxembourg (4 percent).
The statistical office said a sharp spike in energy prices and more expensive services boosted consumer inflation, with energy prices adding 1.19 percentage points to the overall year-on-year figure and services 0.45 percentage points, while food, alcohol and tobacco added 0.15 percentage points.
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