French inflation rose to 1.5% in April

PARIS: French inflation picked up in April compared to the previous month, coming in slightly above initial forecasts, final EU-harmonised data from the INSEE statistics body showed on Wednesday.

Consumer prices rose by 0.4% compared to March, to give a 12-month inflation rate of 1.5%. The final April inflation figure was up slightly from a preliminary forecast for a 1.4% 12-month inflation rate.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has a target for inflation within the euro zone bloc at just below 2%, although faltering economic growth in the region has resulted in euro zone inflation consistently coming in below the ECB's target.