Inflation up in five German states in September, pointing to national rise

By Maria Martinez

BERLIN, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Inflation rose in five key German states in September, preliminary data showed on Wednesday, suggesting Germany's national inflation rate could increase this month.

• In Bavaria, the inflation rate rose to 3.2% in September from 2.9% in August. In North Rhine-Westphalia and in Lower Saxony it increased to 3.3% from 2.9%, in Baden-Wuerttemberg it rose to 2.9% from 2.6% and in Hesse it rose to 3.4% from 3.0%.

• The war in Iran has pushed up energy and raw material prices in previous months and the German government now expects inflation to accelerate to 2.7% this year and 2.8% in 2027.

• Economists polled by Reuters are forecasting a harmonised national inflation rate in Germany - the euro zone's largest economy - of 3.2% in September, up from 2.9% in the previous month. National figures will be released later on Wednesday.

• The German data comes ahead of the euro zone inflation release on Friday. Inflation in the bloc is expected to come in at 3.6% in September, up from 3.2% in the previous month, according to economists polled by Reuters.

• This year's inflation surge has yet to generate dangerous second-round effects across the euro zone, so a moderate policy response from the European Central Bank remains appropriate, ECB chief Christine Lagarde said on Monday.

(Reporting by Maria Martinez, Editing by Miranda Murray)