The OECD has indicated that in the third month of the year, food costs rose by four-tenths of a percentage point, to 4.8%, with increases in more than two-thirds of member countries.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) annual inflation rate stood at 4.2% in March, three-tenths of a percentage point lower than in February.

The OECD has indicated that in the third month of the year, food costs rose by four-tenths of a percentage point, to 4.8%, with increases in more than two-thirds of member countries.

For its part, the energy bill offset this trend by falling eight-tenths of a percentage point to 3%.

Excluding the impact of energy and food prices, the underlying inflation rate stood at 4.5%, two-tenths of a percentage point lower than the previous month's reading.

Among OECD countries, the inflation rate decreased in January in 18 of the 38 members of the advanced economy think tank , increased in seven, and remained stable or virtually stable in 13.

In the eurozone, the harmonized CPI slowed by one-tenth of a percentage point in March, to 2.2%, while the G7 average fell by three-tenths of a percentage point, to 2.4%.