Ireland has the highest inflation rates in the euro-zone, according to Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities in Luxembourg.
Ireland also recorded the only relative rise in rates between April and May of this year, 4.1 per cent to 5.0 per cent.
At five per cent Ireland is ahead of Greece and the Netherlands - both with inflation rates of 3.8 per cent - while Germany, Luxemburg and Belgium had the lowest rates of 1.0, 1.3 and 1.4 per cent respectively.
Overall, the euro-zone annual inflation fell from 2.4 per cent in April to 2.0 per cent in May 2002.
A year earlier the rate was 3.3 per cent.
EU annual inflation fell from 2.2 per cent in April to 1.8 per cent in May 2002. A year earlier the rate was 3.0 per cent.
Compared with April 2002, annual inflation fell in twelve member States and remained stable in two.
Compared with May 2001, the biggest relative falls were in Germany (3.6 per cent to 1.0 per cent), Luxembourg (3.8 per cent to 1.3 per cent) and Belgium (3.1 per cent to 1.4 per cent).
Lowest 12-month averages up to May 2002 were in Luxembourg and France (1.9 per cent each), and Germany (2.0 per cent); highest were in the Netherlands (4.8 per cent), Ireland (4.4 per cent), Greece and Portugal (3.9 per cent each).