Consumer prices of goods and services rose by 0.2 percent month-on-month (m-o-m) in September 2026, the highest figure for the past four months, while year-on-year (y-o-y) inflation held steady at 3.1 percent, the Statistics Office reported on Thursday, adding that, as in August, y-o-y inflation was the lowest since January 2025.
In monthly terms, prices increased in eight of the thirteen household expenditure groups in September, ranging from 0.3 percent in personal and social-care services to 2.2 percent in education.
Conversely, prices fell in four groups, from 0.1 percent in health care to 1.1 percent in recreation and culture. The prices of insurance and financial services remained unchanged from August.
The prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages continued to decline for the fourth consecutive month, holding back m-o-m inflation in September. In this category, prices fell m-o-m in seven of the first nine months of this year, with the drop of 1 percent in September being the third largest.
Conversely, transport prices went up by 2.1 percent due in particular to an increase in fuel prices, which rose by 5.5 percent.
Year-on-year, prices were higher in twelve of the thirteen expenditure groups, ranging from 0.7 percent in clothing and footwear to 9.1 percent in transport. Prices fell only in the food and non-alcoholic beverages category, by 3.2 percent.
The most significant impact came from transport, with prices posting the second fastest rate of growth this year. Prices of fuels went up by 22.2 percent y-o-y, with the previous double-digit increase recorded in April this year. A faster rate of growth was last seen in September 2022.
In the first nine months of 2026, meanwhile, consumer prices went up by 3.5 percent y-o-y.
