Annual inflation in the Euro area is expected to rise to 3.3% in August 2026, up from 2.9% in July, according to a flash estimate published by Eurostat. These denote the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices.
The increase was driven mainly by a sharp rise in energy prices, with annual energy inflation estimated at 14.3%, compared with 10.3% in July. Services inflation, meanwhile, eased slightly to 3.0% from 3.3%, while non-energy industrial goods increased by 1.2%. Food, alcohol and tobacco inflation remained stable at 1.2%.
Inflation rates continued to vary considerably between Euro-area countries. Lithuania recorded the highest estimated annual inflation rate at 5.8%, followed by Cyprus at 5.2% and Bulgaria at 5.1%. At the other end of the scale, Estonia recorded the lowest rate at 1.3%, followed by Malta at 1.9% and Finland at 2.4%.
Malta’s inflation rate remained well below the Euro-area average, despite crawling up slightly to 2.1% in July . Malta’s inflation rate is being kept lower than the Euro-average with fuel and electricity subsidies.
The figures remain preliminary. The complete harmonised inflation data for August, covering the Euro area, EU and individual member states, is scheduled to be published on 17 September 2026.
Newsroom
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