Euro area annual inflation was 1.4% in May 2017, down from 1.9% in April. In May 2016 the rate was -0.1%. European Union annual inflation was 1.6% in May 2017, down from 2.0% in April. A year earlier the rate was -0.1%. These figures come from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In May 2017, the lowest annual rates were registered in Ireland (0.0%), Romania (0.5%), Denmark and the Netherlands (both 0.7%). The highest annual rates were recorded in Estonia (3.5%), Lithuania (3.2%) and the United Kingdom (2.9%). Compared with April 2017, annual inflation fell in twenty-four Member States, remained stable in one and rose in three.