At the end of March, the inflation rate stood at 7%, specifies the National Statistics Office in its monthly report on Wednesday (ONS).
The ONS notes that the April rate is the highest since inflation statistics have existed, namely 1989, but that according to estimates the rate 'should have last been higher around 1982' .
"Inflation rose sharply in April, driven by a sharp rise in electricity and gas prices" due to an increase in the price cap, commented Grant Fitzner, chief economist of the ONS.
"Steep year-over-year increases in the cost of metals, chemicals and crude oil also continued, as did higher prices for products leaving the factory," he added.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak argued in a statement that 'countries across the world are facing rising inflation' and that April's inflation in the UK comes from energy, boosted by prices in world markets.
“We cannot fully protect people from these global challenges but are providing significant support where we can, and we stand ready to do more,” he added.
Criticism is mounting over government action seen as insufficient in the face of the cost of living crisis, which many organizations see as government inaction as millions of Britons now have to restrict their meals or their heating.
On Monday, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey described the situation as "apocalyptic" for food prices and warned that inflation, which is expected to top 10% by the end of the year in the United Kingdom, could rise even higher if Ukraine fails to export its crops.
© 2022 AFP