Macro Release Desk

Eurostat · data retrieved October 15, 2026

Indicator brief · Eurostat prc_hicp_minr TOTAL

What is the latest euro area inflation rate?

Euro area annual HICP inflation was 3.8% in September 2026, compared with 3.2% in August 2026, according to Eurostat. Core inflation excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco was 2.5%.

Reference period September 2026 · retrieved from the agency on October 15, 2026

Latest print · September 2026

3.8% y/y

Core HICP
2.5%
Distance to 2% target
+1.8 pt
I.

What the latest numbers show

  1. The ECB's medium-term target is 2% HICP inflation; the latest reading is +1.8 point from that level.
  2. In the 117-month window shown, headline HICP inflation ranged from −0.3% (Sep 2020) to 10.6% (Oct 2022).
  3. The gap between headline and core is +1.3 point, a rough gauge of the net contribution of energy and food.
II.

History

Euro area HICP inflation, annual rateAnnual rate of change of the euro area HICP, Jan 2017 to Sep 2026. Latest: 2026-09 3.8%.-505101520172019202120232025ECB 2% target
Annual rate of change of the euro area HICP, Jan 2017 to Sep 2026. Source: Eurostat. Retrieved October 15, 2026.

Recent observations

MonthHeadline %Core %
Sep 20263.82.5
Aug 20263.22.4
Jul 20262.92.5
Jun 20262.82.4
May 20263.22.6
Apr 20263.02.2
Mar 20262.62.3
Feb 20261.92.4
Jan 20261.72.2
Dec 20252.02.3
Nov 20252.12.4
Oct 20252.12.4
Sep 20252.22.4
 Values as published by Eurostat; computed columns are ours.
III.

What it measures

The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) is the euro area’s official inflation measure, compiled by Eurostat from national statistics using a common methodology. The euro area aggregate uses the changing composition of member states.

Core HICP here means the overall index excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco (Eurostat aggregate TOT_X_NRG_FOOD).

IV.

How and when it is published

Eurostat publishes a flash estimate around the end of the reference month and the full release about two to three weeks later.

With the January 2026 data Eurostat moved the HICP to the ECOICOP version 2 classification (dataset prc_hicp_minr). We read annual rates from that dataset; compare long histories with care.

See the release calendar and the agency links below for upcoming publication dates.

V.

Sources

VI.

Related