---
source: Eurostat
url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-euro-indicators/w/2-18032026-ap
document_type: html
date_retrieved: 2026-03-18
period: February 2026
parent_publication: Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) - Euro Indicators
indicators_covered: [Core Inflation Rate YoY, Inflation Rate YoY, Inflation Rate MoM, Consumer Price Index CPI]
---

# Annual Inflation Up to 1.9% in the Euro Area
## Eurostat Euro Indicators Release – March 18, 2026

### Overview

In the euro area, annual inflation rose to **1.9% in February 2026**, up from **1.7% in January 2026**, according to the final estimate published by Eurostat on March 18, 2026 at 10:00 CET. This figure matches the flash estimate released on March 3, 2026.

The increase in inflation reflects faster growth in services prices, partly offset by slower energy price declines. The European Union-wide inflation rate stood at **2.1% in February 2026**, up from **2.0% in January 2026**.

### Key Indicators – February 2026 (Final)

| Indicator | February 2026 | January 2026 | Change | YoY vs Feb 2025 |
|-----------|---------------|--------------|--------|-----------------|
| **Euro Area Annual Inflation (HICP YoY)** | 1.9% | 1.7% | +0.2 pp | Down from 2.3% |
| **Core Inflation Rate (excl. energy, food, alcohol & tobacco)** | 2.4% | 2.2% | +0.2 pp | — |
| **HICP Monthly Change (MoM)** | 0.6% | -0.6% | +1.2 pp | — |
| **Consumer Price Index (CPI)** | 100.71 | 100.07 | +0.64 | — |
| **EU Annual Inflation (HICP YoY)** | 2.1% | 2.0% | +0.1 pp | Down from 2.7% |

### Data Composition and Weighting

The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) is calculated as the weighted average of member states' HICP components. The main expenditure categories and their approximate weights in the eurozone aggregate are:

- **Services**: 42% of total weight – showing the fastest price growth
- **Non-energy industrial goods**: 27% of total weight
- **Food, alcohol and tobacco**: 21% of total weight
- **Energy**: 11% of total weight

The HICP aggregates are computed as the weighted average of each country's HICP components, with individual country weights determined by their share of household final monetary consumption expenditure.

### Primary Drivers of Inflation

**Upward pressure:**
- **Services inflation**: Continued acceleration in services prices, contributing approximately 1.54 percentage points to euro area inflation
- **Food, alcohol and tobacco**: Contributing approximately 0.48 percentage points
- **Non-energy industrial goods**: Contributing approximately 0.17 percentage points

**Downward pressure:**
- **Energy prices**: Year-over-year energy price declines of approximately 8.4% offset some inflationary pressure, contributing roughly -0.30 percentage points
- Month-over-month energy volatility continues to moderate

### Methodological Notes

As of February 4, 2026, Eurostat implemented updated methodology for HICP compilation:

- **New reference period**: 2025 = 100 (replacing the previous 2015 = 100 base)
- **Classification update**: Transition to ECOICOP 2018 (European Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose)
- **Expanded coverage**: Inclusion of games of chance within recreation services (leisure and culture category)

These changes improve alignment with modern consumption patterns but do not affect the reported inflation rates for the current period.

### Country-Level Variation

Inflation rates vary significantly across the euro area:

- **Lowest inflation**: Denmark (0.5%), Cyprus (0.9%), Czech Republic (1.0%)
- **Highest inflation**: Croatia (3.9%), Ireland (2.5%), Austria (2.2%)

National statistical institutes compile local HICPs in accordance with Eurostat standards and report flash estimates to Eurostat on the last working day of each reference month.

### Month-on-Month Changes

Euro area HICP fell slightly from January to February 2026 at the aggregate level, though this masks significant sectoral variation driven primarily by:

- Seasonal energy price movements
- Food price volatility
- Service sector seasonal adjustment factors

### Release Schedule and Data Availability

- **Flash estimate**: Published March 3, 2026 (preliminary euro area aggregate and key indicators)
- **Final estimate**: Published March 18, 2026 (confirmed rates with full member state breakdowns)
- **Next scheduled release**: Flash estimate for March 2026 data expected March 31, 2026

Data is made available to National Statistical Institutes (NSIs) in member states for their own domestic releases, typically published concurrently or shortly after the Eurostat headline figure.

### Data Quality and Revisions

No substantial revisions were made to January 2026 figures. Flash estimates have historically been revised by an average of 0.1 percentage points in the final release, reflecting late-arriving national data and minor seasonal adjustments.

### Further Information

Complete time series data, including detailed breakdowns by member state and HICP component, is available through:

- **Eurostat database**: HICP tables (most recent: February 2026)
- **Live HICP dashboard**: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/hicp
- **Data browsing tool**: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/teicp000/default/table

All figures in this release are neither seasonally nor working-day adjusted for the overall headline index. The Eurostat HICP publication is coordinated with concurrent releases from national statistical institutes and the European Central Bank's regular economic data updates.