28/04/2006 (Agence Europe) - According to Eurostat estimates, annual inflation in the eurozone was 2.4% in April 2006, up from 2.2% in March. The Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) improved for the fifth consecutive month in both the EU and the eurozone. The indicator for the EU increased by 2.9 points, and by 1.7 points in the eurozone. Since the recovery started about a year ago, the ESI has risen by around 10 points in both areas. The Business Climate Indicator (BCI) for the eurozone also improved in April, suggesting that industrial production growth should be sustained throughout the first half of this year. The European Central Bank (ECB) will take these indicators into account in its interest rates decisions next month.