Kosovo Inflation Rate Quickens to Near 3-Year High

The annual inflation rate in Kosovo rose to 6.7% in March 2026, up from 6% in the prior month. This marks a new high since March 2023, as transport prices surged to 10.5% from a 2.1% increase in the previous month, while slowing for all other categories. Price pressures eased for food (6.7% versus 8%), housing and utilities (15.2% versus 15.7%), furnishings (2.9% versus 3.4%), alcoholic beverages, and tobacco (4% versus 4.9%), restaurants, and hotels (6.7% versus 9.2%), clothing and footwear (1.7% versus 3%), recreation, and culture (1.5% versus 1.8%), health (4.6% versus 7.1%), while prices reversed for education (-0.3% versus 0.5%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 1.5%, up from 0.6% in the previous month.

The annual inflation rate in Kosovo rose to 6% in February 2026, the highest since March 2023, from 5.8% in the prior month. The main upward pressure continued to stem mostly from prices of housing & utilities (15.7% vs 16.1% in January); restaurants & hotels (9.2% vs 8.4%); food & non-alcoholic beverages (8% vs 7.7%) and health (7.1% vs 6.2%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose by 0.6%, after increasing by 1.2% in the previous month.

The annual inflation rate in Kosovo accelerated to 5.8% in January 2026, the steepest since March 2023, from 5.3% in the prior month. Main upward pressure stemmed from prices of housing & utilities (16.1% vs 10.7% in December), on account of water supply and services related to the settlement (36.2%). Price-growth also picked up for food & non-alcoholic beverages (7.7% vs 6.2%), with notable increases in fruits (+16.7%); meat (+13.1%); coffee, tea and cocoa (+10.3%) and milk, cheese and eggs (8.7%). On a monthly basis, the CPI rose by 1.2%, marking the strongest increase since June 2022, after a 0.7% advance in the month before.