Annual inflation in the euro area reached 3.8% in September 2026, up from 3.2% in August, according to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. The September rate marks a significant acceleration from the 2.2% recorded in the same month a year earlier. European Union-wide inflation also stood at 3.8% in September 2026, rising from 3.2% in August; a year prior, the EU-wide rate had been 2.6%.

Among the components driving the euro area figure, energy made the largest contribution, adding 1.71 percentage points to the annual rate. Services followed with a contribution of 1.52 percentage points, while non-energy industrial goods added 0.29 percentage points and food, alcohol and tobacco contributed 0.25 percentage points.

The picture across individual member states was markedly uneven. Sweden recorded the lowest annual inflation rate among EU countries at 1.0%, with Hungary and Denmark both registering 2.1%. At the other end of the scale, Romania posted the highest rate at 6.5%, followed by Lithuania at 6.1% and Bulgaria at 5.6%. Compared with August 2026, annual inflation fell in one member state, remained stable in three, and rose in twenty-three.

Eurostat notes that from 1 January 2026, the euro area expanded to include Bulgaria, bringing the total to 21 members (EA21), up from the previous 20. Data for months up to December 2025 reflect the EA20 composition, while figures from January 2026 onward represent the EA21 grouping, with the compositional change incorporated using a chain index formula.

A flash estimate for September 2026, published on 2 October 2026, had already put the figure at 3.8%, in line with the confirmed reading. The next flash estimate, covering October 2026 data, is scheduled for release on 4 November 2026.

This article is based on a primary source and has undergone editorial review prior to publication.