Consumer prices in the US rose by 0.6 percent in May compared with the previous month, according to the US Department of Labor.
Excluding food and energy prices, prices rose by 0.7 per cent.
Converted at an annual rate, it gave inflation in the United States of 5.0 percent in May, the highest level since the autumn of 2008. Core inflation at an annual rate rose to 3.8 percent.
Analysts had expected, on average, that consumer prices in the US would rise by 0.4 per cent in May compared with the previous month and that inflation would rise to 4.7 per cent on an annual basis, according to a Reuters survey.
Core inflation was expected to rise to 3.4 percent.
The US Federal Reserve has a 2 percent inflation target.
No surprises from the ECB
The European Central Bank (ECB) and President Christine Lagarde did not offer any surprises at today's interest rate announcement. The policy rate is left unchanged at zero, the so-called deposit rate of minus 0.50 percent. The interest rate announcement is in line with market expectations.