Lower energy prices helped curb in inflation in the OECD area in April, the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said Tuesday

Annual inflation in the OECD area slowed to 2.5% in the year to April, down from 2.7% in March, the 34-member OECD reported. It points to energy prices as the primary reason for the slowdown, with energy price growth slowing to 4.8% in April from 6.5% in March. Food price inflation also weakened to 3.1% in April from 3.5%.

Excluding food and energy, the annual inflation rate was broadly stable at 2.0% in April, the OECD said. And, on a month over month basis, consumer prices in the OECD area rose by 0.3% in April.

By country, annual inflation decelerated most strongly in the UK, where the annual rate dropped to 3.0% in April, down from 3.5% in March, and in the US, where the rate slowed to 2.3% from 2.7%. The slowing was more moderate in France (down to 2.1%, down from 2.3%) and Japan (to 0.4%, down from 0.5%). The rate was stable in Germany and Italy, while it actually ticked up in Canada to 2.0%, from 1.9%. For the Euro area as a whole, annual inflation slowed to 2.6% in April, from 2.7%.

In emerging markets, annual inflation decelerated in China, Brazil and Russia, but it accelerated in Indonesia and South Africa.