French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Wednesday he was sticking to a forecast for 1% economic growth this year, and he added that inflation was slowing down sharply.

"I maintain the forecast for economic growth of 1% though I am aware of the risks weighing on growth...Inflation is also slowing, it is slowing sharply," Le Maire told France Inter radio.

Inflation stood at 5.1% in May after rising 5.9% in April, according to data from statistics institute INSEE published on Wednesday. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)