Berlin  - German inflation fell to 0.5 per cent in March, nearly a 10-year-low, with slumping energy prices and a sharp downturn in growth cutting prices, officials said Friday.

The Federal Statistics Office figure was half the 1.0 per cent rate reported for February in Europe's largest economy.

The drop in inflation comes ahead of next week's meeting of the European Central Bank (ECB) with the Frankfurt-based ECB widely expected to deliver another 50 basis points cut in interest rates. (dpa)