(Reuters) – Spanish 12-month inflation rose to 8.7% in May up from 8.3% the previous month, preliminary data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) showed on Monday.
The reading was higher than the 8.3% forecast by analysts polled by Reuters.
Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, rose to 4.9% year-on-year from 4.4% a month earlier, the INE data showed.
Spanish European Union-harmonised inflation was 8.5% in the 12 months through May, up from 8.3% a month earlier.
(Reporting by Mariana Ferreira Azevedo; editing by Inti Landauro)
