Europe · Business news · Economy · 02 Oct 2026
EU Financials Energy Consumer Discretionary
Eurostat's flash estimate puts euro-area annual inflation at 3.8% in September, up from 3.2% in August. Energy rose 18.8% (14.3% in August), services 3.2%, food, alcohol and tobacco 1.4%, and non-energy industrial goods 1.1%. Spain is at 5.0% and Lithuania at 6.1%, the highest; Malta is lowest at 2.4%.
Almost all of the increase comes from energy, which households and energy-intensive manufacturers pay directly; goods inflation outside energy is 1.1%. The ECB raised rates by 25 bp on September 10 and meets again on October 28-29, so the reading feeds straight into borrowing costs for banks' customers and for indebted companies and property owners. Services at 3.2% is the figure that shows how far energy costs are passing into wages and prices elsewhere.
Reported by Eurostat — “Euro area annual inflation up to 3.8%” ↗ on 02 Oct 2026.
Official series on 02 Oct 2026 or the last day before it, and the latest observation.
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