{"id":23814,"date":"2026-10-19T07:55:29","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T07:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog?p=23814"},"modified":"2026-10-19T07:55:29","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T07:55:29","slug":"inflation-in-europe-in-2026-figures-by-country-and-what-drives-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/inflation-in-europe-in-2026-figures-by-country-and-what-drives-it","title":{"rendered":"Inflation in Europe in 2026: Figures by Country and What Drives It"},"content":{"rendered":"

Inflation in the euro area reached 3.8% year-on-year in September 2026<\/strong>, six-tenths of a percentage point higher than in August and the highest level since September 2023, according to the flash estimate published by Eurostat<\/strong> on 2 October 2026. This figure is well above the 2% target<\/strong> pursued by the European Central Bank (<\/strong>ECB<\/strong><\/a>)<\/strong> over the medium term.<\/p>\n

Why does this matter to you?<\/strong> Because inflation is not just a number in the news. It is what you notice every time you go to the supermarket, pay your electricity bill or renew your rental contract. Let\u2019s look at inflation in each euro area country, what is driving it and how it affects what you pay each month.<\/p>\n

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How inflation is measured in the euro area<\/h2>\n

To compare<\/strong> inflation across countries without complications, Eurostat uses the HICP<\/a><\/strong> (Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices).<\/p>\n

Essentially, the HICP measures how the prices<\/strong> of a basket of goods and services consumed by households change, using the same rules for everyone. This means that whether you look at Spain, Germany or France, the figure is calculated in the same way, allowing you to compare countries without each one using its own formula.<\/p>\n

Each country also publishes its national CPI<\/strong>, which may differ slightly depending on the basket of goods, the weighting of each category or how prices are collected. In Spain, the INE<\/strong> publishes both: the national CPI and the HICP<\/strong>, which is the Spanish version of the European HICP.<\/p>\n

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Inflation in the euro area in 2026, month by month<\/h2>\n

Throughout 2026<\/strong>, inflation has been rising gradually<\/a>, particularly since the conflict in the Middle East began in February and energy prices surged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Month<\/strong><\/th>\nEuro area inflation<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
January<\/td>\n1.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
February<\/td>\n1.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
March<\/td>\n2.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
April<\/td>\n3.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May<\/td>\n3.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
June<\/td>\n2.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
July<\/td>\n2.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
August<\/td>\n3.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
September<\/td>\n3.8% (flash estimate)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The most significant change<\/a> occurred in March<\/strong>, when inflation rose from 1.9% to 2.6%. In the following months, it remained above the ECB\u2019s target. Although it eased slightly in June, it rose again, reaching 3.8% in September.<\/p>\n

This rebound does not mean that all prices have risen equally. Energy has played an important role in the latest figure, pushing the overall index higher.<\/p>\n

Which countries have the highest and lowest inflation?<\/h2>\n

In September 2026<\/strong>, inflation rates differed considerably across euro area countries. Even though they share the same currency, inflation has evolved very differently from one country to another. Here are all the countries ranked by their year-on-year inflation rate, based on Eurostat\u2019s preliminary data<\/a> published on 2 October:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Country<\/strong><\/th>\nInflation (% year-on-year, September 2026)<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Lithuania<\/strong><\/td>\n6.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bulgaria<\/strong><\/td>\n5.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cyprus<\/strong><\/td>\n5.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Luxembourg<\/strong><\/td>\n5.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Greece<\/strong><\/td>\n5.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Spain<\/strong><\/td>\n5.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Belgium<\/strong><\/td>\n4.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Croatia<\/strong><\/td>\n4.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Italy<\/strong><\/td>\n4.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
France<\/strong><\/td>\n3.4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Germany<\/strong><\/td>\n3.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Slovakia<\/strong><\/td>\n3.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Estonia<\/strong><\/td>\n3.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Netherlands<\/strong><\/td>\n3.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Latvia<\/strong><\/td>\n2.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Finland<\/strong><\/td>\n2.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Malta<\/strong><\/td>\n2.4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

As you can see<\/strong>, Lithuania<\/strong> records the highest inflation rate, at 6.1%, followed by Bulgaria<\/strong> at 5.6%, which joined the euro area on 1 January 2026. At the other end of the scale, Malta<\/strong> has the lowest inflation rate (2.4%), followed by Finland<\/strong> (2.6%) and Latvia<\/strong> (2.9%).<\/p>\n

Differences between countries can be explained by several factors<\/strong>:<\/p>\n