Paris  - Driven by rising food and energy prices, annual inflation in France jumped to 3.2 per cent in March, from 2.8 per cent in February, the government statistics office INSEE said Tuesday.

Food prices were up 5.3 per cent over the past 12 months, with energy prices rising 12.7 per cent, INSEE said.

Prices in large-surface retail outlets, such as hypermarkets and supermarkets, jumped by nearly 5 per cent over the last 12 months, again led by the cost of foodstuffs, which rose 5.7 per cent.

The report is bad news for President Nicolas Sarkozy, who made purchasing power a cornerstone of his successful presidential campaign and whose plunge in approval ratings has been partly linked to his government's lack of progress in dealing with the problem. (dpa)