By Maria Martinez

BERLIN (Reuters) - German inflation eased in March, helped by a drop in energy and food prices, final data from the federal statistics office showed on Friday.

Inflation in Europe's largest economy slackened in March to 2.3%, its lowest level since June 2021. German consumer prices, harmonised to compare with other European Union countries, had risen by 2.7% year-on-year in February.

Core inflation in Germany, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was at 3.3% in March, down from 3.4% in February.

Underlying inflation is closely watched by the European Central Bank to gauge the durability of price pressures.