02/06/26 (Agence Europe) – The annual inflation rate in the euro area is estimated at 3.2% for May 2026, up from 3.0% in April, according to a ballpark estimation published by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) on Tuesday 2 June. The highest rates were recorded in Bulgaria (6.3%), Lithuania (5.1%) and Greece (5.0%). The lowest rates are expected to be recorded in Malta (2.1%), France (2.8%) and Germany (2.7%). According to Eurostat, inflation is expected to be high in Italy (3.3%) and Spain (3.6%). Regarding the main components of inflation in the euro area, energy is expected to record the highest annual rate in May (10.9%, compared with 10.8% in April), followed by services (3.5%, compared with 3.0%), food, alcohol and tobacco (2.0%, compared with 2.4%) and non-energy industrial goods (0.9%, compared with 0.8%). (BD)