The inflation rate in the Eurozone

Preliminary data released on Tuesday revealed that the headline inflation rate in the eurozone increased in April. The inflation rate for last month was 7%, as reported by Eurostat, rising slightly from 6.9% in March.
When volatile food and fuel prices are excluded, core inflation decreased from 7.5% to 7.3%. An even narrower measure, which excludes alcohol and tobacco, dropped from 5.7% to 5.6%. This result was lower than the expected 5.7% and marked the first decline since last June. The decline in processed food, alcohol, and tobacco inflation by a full percentage point to 14.7% is a positive sign for the ECB, indicating that the long-awaited reversal in food prices may finally be happening.
These latest figures were released just a few days before the ECB is expected to announce a new monetary policy decision on Thursday. Rather than providing clarity on how much the central bank may raise rates, the latest numbers have made the situation more ambiguous.