Euro area annual inflation rises to 3.8% in September

Annual inflation in the euro area accelerated to 3.8% in September 2026 from 3.2% in August, a flash estimate from Eurostat showed on Friday.

Energy recorded the highest annual rate among main inflation components at 18.8% in September, jumping from 14.3% in August, the statistical office of the European Union reported.

Services inflation reached 3.2% in September compared with 3.0% in August, while food, alcohol, and tobacco prices climbed to 1.4% from 1.1%.

Non-energy industrial goods inflation fell to 1.1% from 1.2% in August, while core inflation excluding energy, food, alcohol, and tobacco edged up to 2.5% in September from 2.4%.

Among euro area economies, Lithuania posted the highest annual inflation rate at 6.1%, followed by Bulgaria at 5.6% and Cyprus and Luxembourg at 5.2% each.

Conversely, Malta logged the lowest annual inflation rate at 2.4%, with Finland following at 2.6% and Latvia at 2.9%.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices in the euro area increased 0.6% in September.