Egypt's annual urban ​consumer inflation ⁠increased to a faster-than-expected 15.2% ‌in March from 13.4% in February, state statistics ​agency CAPMAS said on Thursday, after the ​war on Iran ​pushed up prices.

Month-on-month, prices rose by 3.2% in March, ⁠it said. Food and beverage prices rose by 4.8% on a monthly and 5.8% on an annual basis.  

* ​A ‌Reuters poll on ⁠Thursday ⁠had forecast inflation would climb to 14.7% in ​March, citing repercussions ‌from the war on Iran, ⁠which has caused fuel prices to jump and the currency to weaken.

* Annual inflation has plunged from a record high of 38% in September 2023, helped by an $8 billion financial support package signed with ‌the International Monetary Fund in March 2024.

* ⁠April inflation figures ​may be further boosted by an increase in electricity prices that took ​effect ‌on April 1.

(Reporting by Reuters; ⁠Writing by ​Patrick Werr; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)