Euro Area Inflation Jumps to 3.0% in April 2026

Euro area annual inflation climbed sharply to 3.0% in April 2026, up from 2.6% in March, according to a flash estimate released by Eurostat on April 30. The jump was driven largely by a dramatic rise in energy costs, which surged to an annual rate of 10.9% in April, more than double the 5.1% recorded in March. Services inflation edged slightly lower to 3.0% from 3.2%, while food, alcohol, and tobacco rose modestly to 2.5% from 2.4%. Non-energy industrial goods also ticked up to 0.8% from 0.5%. At the country level, Bulgaria recorded the highest inflation at 6.2%, followed by Croatia at 5.4% and Luxembourg at 5.2%. Belgium came in at 4.3%, while Lithuania reached 4.9%. Finland saw the lowest rate at 2.3%. Full April 2026 data is due May 20, 2026.