And where did it ease?

A steep rise last month in the annual rate of inflation for petrol, diesel and air fares helped push up the UK’s overall rate to 3.3% – though prices did ease for a handful of items, including clothing and some electrical goods.

Petrol swung from negative inflation in February, with average prices down 5.4% year-on-year, to positive inflation in March, with costs 2.0% higher than 12 months earlier.

Diesel showed a similar trend, though here the change was even greater, with prices swinging from a year-on-year fall of 3.6% in February to a year-on-year rise of 9.6% last month.

The annual rate of inflation for petrol is now at its highest since May 2024, while diesel is at its highest level since February 2023, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The increases reflect the impact of the Iran war that began at the end of February, which drove up the price of crude oil during March and in turn pushed up the cost of filling up at the pumps.

The early timing of this year’s Easter holidays is likely to have contributed to a sharp acceleration last month in the cost of air travel, with prices up 14.5% year on year, compared with 3.8% in February.

Inflation also picked up pace in March across a range of everyday groceries, including chocolate, coffee, tea, fruit juice, eggs and bread.

Ice cream recorded the biggest jump of any food produce, up from an annual rate of 1.7% in February to 6.3% last month.

Helping to offset these upwards pressures was a slowdown in the inflation for clothing.

The average cost of women’s clothes was up 0.9% year-on-year on in March, a smaller rise than the 3.0% recorded in February, while men’s clothes were up just 0.2%, lower than the increase of 1.0% the previous month.

The price of children’s clothing was down year on year by an average of 3.6% in March, a larger drop than the fall of 0.5% seen in February.

Elsewhere, the cost of computer software swung from positive inflation of 2.7% in February to a year-on-year fall of 13.8% in March.

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Fridges, freezers and irons also swung from positive to negative rates of inflation, while price rises slowed for margarine, crisps, potatoes and cereal.

Below are some examples of how the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate has eased or accelerated.

Two figures are listed for each item: the average rise in price in the 12 months to February, followed by the average rise in price in the 12 months to March.

– Examples where annual inflation has accelerated, ranked by the size of change:
Diesel: February down 3.6%, March up 9.6%
Passenger air travel: Feb up 3.8%, Mar up 14.5%
Petrol: Feb down 5.4%, Mar up 2.0%
Edible ices & ice cream: Feb up 1.7%, Mar up 6.3%
Chocolate: Feb up 7.8%, Mar up 10.9%
Coffee: Feb up 6.3%, Mar up 9.0%
Fruit & vegetable juices: Feb up 0.1%, Mar up 1.7%
Fruit: Feb up 2.5%, Mar up 3.1%
Pasta & couscous: Feb up 3.9%, Mar up 4.4%
Bread: Feb up 2.8%, Mar up 3.3%
– Examples where annual inflation has eased:
Software: February up 2.7%, March down 13.8%
Fridges & freezers: Feb up 7.5%, Mar down 0.6%
Irons: Feb up 0.1%, Mar down 5.5%
Coffee machines & tea makers: Feb up 5.4%, Mar up 0.8%
Passenger train travel: Feb up 5.8%, Mar up 1.9%
Children’s clothes: Feb down 0.5%, Mar down 3.6%
Margarine/other vegetable fats: Feb up 5.2%, Mar up 3.1%
Women’s clothes: Feb up 3.0%, Mar up 0.9%
Crisps: Feb up 2.0%, Mar up 0.3%
Men’s clothes: Feb up 1.0%, Mar up 0.2%