Eurozone inflation jumps to 3.8% in September as energy costs surge
Euro area inflation hit 3.8% in September, nearly double the ECB's 2% target, as energy prices soared 18.8% year on year, Eurostat's flash estimate showed.
Euro area inflation is estimated to have risen to 3.8% in September, up from 3.2% in August, according to a Eurostat flash estimate published on Friday 2 October (Tribune, Brussels Signal).
The increase was driven overwhelmingly by energy, which recorded annual inflation of 18.8% in September — up from 14.3% in August — the highest rate among the main components (Tribune, Agence Europe).
Services inflation rose to 3.2% from 3.0%, while inflation for food, alcohol and tobacco climbed to 1.4% from 1.1%. Non-energy industrial goods was the only major component to moderate, easing to 1.1% from 1.2% (Tribune, Agence Europe).
Core inflation, which strips out energy and food and is closely watched by the European Central Bank, edged up to 2.5% from 2.4% — still above the ECB’s 2% target (Brussels Signal, Brussels Morning).
The pain was uneven across the euro area. Lithuania had the highest rate at 6.1%, followed by Bulgaria at 5.6% and Luxembourg at 5.2%. Of the large economies, Spain led at 5.0%, ahead of Italy (4.1%), France (3.4%) and Germany (3.3%). Malta had the lowest rate at 2.4%, with Finland at 2.6% and Latvia at 2.9% (Brussels Signal, Agence Europe).
The figures follow two ECB interest-rate rises this year as policymakers battle renewed inflationary pressure (Brussels Signal, Brussels Morning).
Sources
- The Tribune (ANI) — “Inflation in Europe jumps to 3.8% in September, energy inflation at 18.8%” — https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/business/inflation-in-europe-jumps-to-3-8-in-september-energy-inflation-at-18-8/
- Brussels Signal — “Eurozone inflation hits three-year high” — https://brusselssignal.eu/2026/10/eurozone-inflation-hits-three-year-high/
- Agence Europe — “Inflation estimated at 3.8% in euro area in September” — https://agenceurope.eu/en/bulletin/article/13951/29/inflation-estimated-at-38-in-euro-area-in-september
- Brussels Morning — “Eurozone Inflation Surges in Powerful Energy Shock” — https://brusselsmorning.com/eurozone-inflation-energy-shock/104562/
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