Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August

Euro area annual inflation eased to 1.7% year-on-year in January 2026, down from 2.0% in December and in line with market expectations, marking its lowest level since September 2024. The decline came as the euro surged to a more than four-year high above $1.20 at month-end. Services inflation slowed to a four-month low of 3.2%, while energy prices fell further, dropping 4.1% compared with a 1.9% decline in December. By contrast, inflation picked up for unprocessed food (4.4% vs. 3.5%) and non-energy industrial goods (0.4% vs. 0.3%), while price growth for processed food, alcohol, and tobacco remained unchanged at 2.1%. Core inflation, excluding energy, food, alcohol, and tobacco, fell to 2.2%, the lowest since October 2021 and slightly below expectations of 2.3%. Among major eurozone economies, HICP eased in France (0.4% vs. 0.7%), Spain (2.5% vs. 3.0%), and Italy (1.0% vs. 1.2%), but rose in Germany (2.1% vs. 2.0%).

Eurozone consumer price inflation eased to 1.9% in December 2025, down from 2.1% in November and slightly under the preliminary estimate of 2.0%. It marked the first time since May that inflation has come in below the European Central Bank’s 2% target, reinforcing expectations that interest rates will remain on hold for an extended period. Services inflation moderated to 3.4% from 3.5%, while price growth for non-energy industrial goods softened to 0.4% from 0.5%. Energy prices fell more sharply, declining 1.9% year-on-year compared with a 0.5% drop in November. By contrast, inflation in food, alcohol, and tobacco edged higher to 2.5% from 2.4%. Core inflation, excluding energy, food, alcohol, and tobacco, slipped to 2.3%, its lowest level in four months. Among the euro area’s largest economies, harmonized inflation cooled in Germany (2.0% vs. 2.6%), France (0.7% vs. 0.8%), and Spain (3.0% vs. 3.2%). Italy was the exception, with HICP inflation ticking up modestly to 1.2% from 1.1%.

Euro area consumer price inflation eased to 2.0% in December 2025, down from 2.1% in November, according to a preliminary estimate. This marks the lowest rate since August, returning to the ECB’s midpoint target and reinforcing expectations that interest rates are likely to remain steady for the foreseeable future. The slowdown reflected a modest easing in price growth for services (3.4% vs. 3.5% in November) and non-energy industrial goods (0.4% vs. 0.5%), alongside a sharper decline in energy costs (-1.9% vs. -0.5%). In contrast, prices for food, alcohol, and tobacco accelerated slightly to 2.6% from 2.4%. Core inflation, which excludes energy, food, alcohol, and tobacco, fell to 2.3%, the lowest in four months and just below expectations of 2.4%. Among Europe’s largest economies, HICP rates eased in Germany (2.0% vs. 2.6%), France (0.7% vs. 0.8%), and Spain (3.0% vs. 3.2%), while Italy bucked the trend with harmonized inflation rising slightly to 1.2% from 1.1%.