Croatia Inflation Hits 21-Month High

Croatia’s annual inflation rate rose to 4.7% in September 2026 from 4.2% in the previous month, marking the highest reading since May 2026, according to a preliminary estimate. The uptick was primarily driven by higher energy prices, which surged 20.5% year-on-year, reflecting ongoing pressures associated with the Middle East conflict. Services prices also continued to rise strongly, climbing by 7.6%, while food, beverages and tobacco prices edged up by 0.2%. Meanwhile, prices for non-food industrial goods without energy fell by 1.4%. On a monthly basis, consumer prices increased by 0.9%, following a 0.3% gain in the previous month.

The annual inflation rate in Croatia rose to 4.2% in August 2026 from a five-month low of 3.9% in the previous month, coming in slightly higher than preliminary estimates. Price growth accelerated for transport (13.5% vs 8.2% in July), alcoholic beverages and tobacco (3.9% vs 3.7%), and health (5.1% vs 4.9%), while deflation eased for furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance (-0.3% vs -1.1%). In contrast, costs rose at a slower pace for housing and utilities (10.8% vs 12.2%), information and communication (2.7% vs 3.0%), recreation, sport and culture (2.4% vs 2.8%), restaurants and accommodation services (6.1% vs 6.3%), insurance and financial services (3.6% vs 3.9%), and miscellaneous goods and services (2.8% vs 3.2%). At the same time, costs declined further for food and non-alcoholic beverages (-0.6% vs -0.1%) and clothing and footwear (-5.1% vs -4.2%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices increased 0.4% in August, rebounding from a 0.2% drop in July.

Croatia’s annual inflation rate rose to 4.1% in August 2026 from a five-month low of 3.9% in July, according to a preliminary estimate. The uptick was primarily driven by higher energy prices, which surged 17.4% amid supply disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict. Prices for food, beverages and tobacco edged up by 0.1%, while services prices rose by 7.2%. Meanwhile, prices for non-food industrial goods without energy fell by 1.3%. On a monthly basis, consumer prices increased by 0.3%, following a 0.2% drop in the previous month.