UK inflation hits 2.1%, pushing through target

British inflation unexpectedly jumped above the Bank of England’s target in May when it hit 2.1%.

British inflation unexpectedly soared to 2.1% in May.

That’s the first time it’s gone above the Bank of England’s 2% target in almost two years.

The acceleration of the consumer price index from April’s 1.5% largely reflected how weak inflation was in May last year, when the economy was reeling from tight restrictions.

The CPI data showed fuel prices in May were almost 18% higher than a year earlier, while clothing and footwear costs rose by 2.1% as people bought new outfits as they finally left their homes.

And it’s expected to rise even further in the coming months.

The Bank of England has said it expects inflation to hit 2.5% by the end of this year before settling back to its 2% target, as the impact of post-lockdown energy price rises fades along with other cost pressures like bottlenecks in supply chains.

Investors around the world are assessing the risks of a sustained jump in prices, especially in the U.S., where annual inflation hit 5.0% in May, the highest in almost 13 years.