Albania Inflation Accelerates Further in July

Albania’s annual inflation rate accelerated to 3.4% in July 2026 from 3.2% in June, remaining at its highest level since January 2024. The increase was mainly driven by a sharp acceleration in transport inflation (8% vs 3.2%), alongside higher inflation for food (3.5% vs 3%), furnishings (3.3% vs 2.7%) and health (1.9% vs 1.7%). Inflation for education services stood at 2.3%. Meanwhile, inflation eased for housing and utilities (4.1% vs 4.7%), recreation and culture (6% vs 6.1%), restaurants and hotels (2.7% vs 3.3%) and insurance and financial services (4.5% vs 5.1%). Deflation deepened for clothing and footwear (-1.8% vs -0.9%), while prices for information and communication fell 0.9%, reversing a 0.6% increase. On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.2%, rebounding from a 0.1% decline in June.

Albania’s annual inflation rate accelerated to 3.2% in June 2026, reaching its highest level since January 2024, up from 3.0% in May. The increase was mainly driven by stronger price growth in food and non-alcoholic beverages (3.0% vs. 2.2%) and housing and utilities (4.8% vs. 4.2%). Inflation also picked up for restaurants and hotels (3.3% vs. 3.0%), alcoholic beverages and tobacco (3.5% vs. 3.4%), recreation and culture (6.1% vs. 4.2%), education (2.3% vs. 2.1%), and health (1.7% vs. 1.6%). Meanwhile, price growth slowed for transport (3.2% vs. 7.8%), furnishings and household equipment (2.7% vs. 2.8%), and communications (0.6% vs. 0.5%), while clothing and footwear prices fell further (-0.9% vs. -0.5%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices declined 0.1% in June, extending the fall from 0.04% in May.

The annual inflation rate in Albania accelerated to 3% in May 2026, the highest since January 2024, from 2.8% in the previous month. Prices rose faster for food and non-alcoholic beverages (2.2% vs 1.3% in April), health (1.6 vs 0.8%), education (2.1% vs 2%), recreation & culture (4.2% vs 3.7%), restaurants & hotels (3% vs 2.8%), alcoholic beverages & tobacco (3.4% vs 2.7%) and miscellaneous goods & services (3% vs 2.7%). Meanwhile, inflation was steady for furnishings & household equipment (at 2.8%) and cost eased for transport (7.8% vs 8.5%), housing & utilities (4.2% vs 4.7%) and communications (0.5% vs 0.6%). Also, prices fell for clothing & footwear (-0.5% vs 0.1%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices were little changed, after a 0.3% increase in April.