Euro area inflation confirmed at 3.2% in August, a touch below the flash estimate
Eurostat's final figures, published 17 September, put euro area HICP inflation at 3.2%, below the 3.3% flash estimate, with services and energy the biggest contributors.
Eurostat published its final estimate of August 2026 consumer price inflation on 17 September, confirming the rate at 3.2%, one-tenth of a point below the 3.3% flash estimate published on 1 September (flash report).
The confirmed figures
- Euro area annual inflation: 3.2% in August, up from 2.9% in July. A year earlier it was 2.0%
- EU annual inflation: 3.2% in August, up from 3.0% in July
- Monthly rate: 0.4% in the euro area and the EU
What pushed inflation up
Compared with July, four components added to the annual rate:
- Services: +1.43 percentage points
- Energy: +1.29 percentage points
- Non-energy industrial goods: +0.30 percentage points
- Food, alcohol and tobacco: +0.22 percentage points
By country
The lowest annual rates were in Sweden (0.3%), Estonia (1.3%) and Czechia (1.5%); the highest in Romania (6.3%), Lithuania (5.6%) and Cyprus (5.2%). Germany's rate was 2.9%, France's 2.6%, Italy's 3.2% and Spain's 4.6%. Compared with July, inflation fell in six member states, was stable in one and rose in twenty.
Why the revision matters
A final estimate landing a tenth below the flash figure is a small but genuine downside surprise: markets and the European Central Bank had been working from 3.3%. The ECB raised its deposit rate to 2.50% on 10 September, before either estimate was known in final form (report), and euro area growth had already rebounded in the second quarter partly on stronger exports (GDP report). See headline and core inflation explained for how these releases are read.
The next flash estimate, for September, is due from Eurostat before this final August print is superseded; the next full release is scheduled for 16 October. Live prices: EUR/USD.
Sources
Common questions
What is euro area inflation now?
Eurostat's final estimate puts euro area annual inflation at 3.2% in August 2026, up from 2.9% in July, confirmed on 17 September 2026.
Was the euro area inflation flash estimate revised?
Yes, slightly down. The 1 September flash estimate for August was 3.3%; the final figure published on 17 September was 3.2%.
Which euro area country had the highest inflation in August 2026?
Romania, at 6.3%, followed by Lithuania at 5.6% and Cyprus at 5.2%. The lowest rates were in Sweden (0.3%), Estonia (1.3%) and Czechia (1.5%).
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