Inflation in the world's industrialized nations climbed to an annual 2.1% in March from 1.9% in February, driven mainly by higher energy prices, the OECD said on May 4.
Energy prices were up 11.3% in March compared with the same month last year, against an annual gain of 8.4% in February.
Consumer prices for food in the 30 economies covered by the OECD rose by 0.2% in March from a year earlier.
Excluding food and energy, prices rose 1.4% in March 2010 from March 2009, compared with a yearly rise of 1.5% in February.
Canada was the only member of the Group of Seven leading industrialized countries where inflation slowed in March, coming to 1.4% from a year earlier compared with an annual 1.6% in February.
The OECD said deflation remained in Japan where consumer prices fell by 1.1% in March from the same month last year.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010
