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Annual German inflation grew faster than forecast in May, rising to 1.5 per cent, the statistics office said Wednesday.

The cost of living in Europe's biggest economy slumped to a two-and-a-half year low of 1.2 per cent in April.

The May rise was fueled by a 5.3-per-cent surge in food prices, which came after prolonged winter weather helped to drive up the cost of fruit and vegetables.

The cost of energy and services also accelerated in May, the statistics office said.

Analysts had expected a more moderate gain in annual consumer prices in May, to 1.3 per cent.

The release of the German inflation data came ahead of the release Friday by the European Union's statistics office Eurostat of the latest consumer price figures for the eurozone.

Analysts expect Eurostat will say the annual cost of living in the 17-member currency bloc rose to 1.4 per cent in May, from 1.2 per cent in April.