Euro area annual inflation is projected to increase to 3.8% in September 2026, up from 3.2% in August, according to a preliminary estimate from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Read More
Energy is expected to see the highest annual inflation rate at 18.8% in September, a significant rise from 14.3% in August. Services are anticipated to follow with a rate of 3.2%, up from 3.0% the previous month. Inflation for food, alcohol, and tobacco is estimated at 1.4%, compared to 1.1% in August, while non-energy industrial goods are projected to see a slight decrease to 1.1%, down from 1.2%.
The inflation rates, as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), vary across member states. For instance, Belgium's inflation is estimated at 4.6%, Bulgaria at 5.6%, and Germany at 3.3%. Other countries such as Ireland and Spain are expected to have inflation rates of 3.8% and 5.0%, respectively.
The flash estimate for euro area inflation is released at the end of each reference month, while a full set of harmonised indices is published around mid-month following the reference month. The next complete data release for September 2026 is scheduled for 16 October 2026.
From January 2026, Bulgaria will join the current members of the euro area: Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Finland.