The U.K.’s annual inflation rate hit 3.4% in May, in line with economist expectations, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday.
The ONS had initially published data showing a 3.5% increase in the 12 months to April, but later said a car tax data miscalculation had led to the print being overstated. The April print would have been 3.4% without this error.
The statistics body said at the time that its general policy is not to revise inflation figures so it left the original data in place. On Wednesday, it said the corrected vehicle tax data had been used when producing the May consumer price index.
May core inflation, which excludes more volatile energy, food, alcohol and tobacco prices, rose by 3.5% in the year to May, down from 3.8% in the twelve months to April.
The ONS said the largest downward contribution to the monthly change in the annual rates of inflation came from transport, while the largest — and partially offsetting — upward contributions was from food, furniture and household goods.
