Euro-area inflation confirmed at 3.8% in September
Eurostat confirms euro-area annual inflation at 3.8% in September 2026, up from 3.2% in August, with energy the largest contributor.
What you need to know
Eurostat confirmed euro-area annual inflation at 3.8% in September 2026, up from 3.2% in August and 2.2% a year earlier. The EU rate was also 3.8%. Prices rose 0.6% over the month in both aggregates, measured by the harmonised consumer-price index.
- Euro-area annual inflation reached 3.8% in September 2026, against 3.2% in August and 2.2% in September 2025.
- Energy contributed 1.71 percentage points to euro-area annual inflation, ahead of services at 1.52 points.
- Romania recorded the highest EU annual rate at 6.5%; Sweden was lowest at 1.0%.
Contributions and monthly movement
Energy added 1.71 percentage points to euro-area annual inflation, according to the Eurostat figures. Services contributed 1.52 points, non-energy industrial goods 0.29 points and food, alcohol and tobacco 0.25 points. Eurostat said the contributions sum with rounding.
Consumer prices rose 0.6% over the month in both the euro area and the wider EU. The rates are based on the harmonised consumer-price index.
Variation across member states
Annual rates rose in 23 member states, held steady in three and fell in one. Romania had the highest rate at 6.5%, followed by Lithuania at 6.1% and Bulgaria at 5.6%.
At the other end, Sweden's 1.0% was the lowest in the EU, while Hungary and Denmark each recorded 2.1%. The EU annual rate was 3.8%, compared with 3.2% in August and 2.6% in September 2025.
Scope of the figures
Eurostat noted the index is not a measure of each household's individual expenses and is not a central-bank policy announcement. The data describe aggregate price change across the currency area rather than the experience of any single household.
Which category contributed most to euro-area annual inflation in September 2026?
Energy contributed 1.71 percentage points, the largest share, followed by services at 1.52 points, non-energy industrial goods at 0.29 points and food, alcohol and tobacco at 0.25 points.
Sources & context
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