Adds core inflation in paragraph 3 and euro zone context starting in paragraph 4

By Maria Martinez

BERLIN, April 29 (Reuters) - German inflation rose slightly to 2.4% in April, preliminary data from the federal statistics office showed on Monday.

German consumer prices, harmonised to compare with other European Union countries, rose by 2.3% year-on-year in March.

Core inflation in Germany, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was at 3.0% in April, down from 3.3% in March.

Economists pay close attention to German inflation data, as Germany publishes its figures before the euro zone inflation data release, expected on Tuesday.

Euro zone inflation is expected to remain at 2.4%, unchanged from the previous month, according to economists polled by Reuters.

The European Central Bank has clearly signalled it will start lowering borrowing costs in June.

(Reporting by Rachel More and Maria Martinez, Editing by Friederike Heine and Miranda Murray)

((miranda.murray@thomsonreuters.com))