German producer price inflation rose less than expected in May, data from the Federal Statistical Office showed Thursday.

The producer price index rose 0.2 percent year-on-year in May, faster than a 0.1 percent increase in the previous month. Economists had forecast an increase of 0.3 percent.

Producer prices in the intermediate goods industry fell 0.9 percent annually in May. Capital goods prices rose 0.8 percent and that of consumer goods increased 2.1 percent. Prices in the energy sector were 0.5 percent lower than a year earlier.

On a monthly basis, PPI fell 0.3 percent compared with forecast of 0.1 percent decline. In April, the index was down 0.2 percent.