Doha: The eurozone's annual inflation rate rose to 2.9% in July 2026, up from 2.8% in June, according to data released today by Eurostat.
According to Qatar News Agency, Eurostat reported that energy prices experienced the largest increase among the inflation components in July, rising 10.0% year-on-year compared with 8.5% in June. Inflation in services accelerated to 3.3%, while the prices of non-energy industrial goods increased by 0.9%.
The statistics office noted a slowdown in food price inflation in July, with prices climbing 1.2% year-on-year, marking a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from the previous month. Core inflation, which excludes volatile categories such as energy and food, edged up to 2.5% on an annual basis.
France, Malta, and Estonia recorded the lowest inflation rate among eurozone countries at 2.0%, while Lithuania continued to register the highest rate at 5.6%.
These statistics are released as the European Central Bank (ECB) maintains close scrutiny of price developments. The ECB is tasked with balancing the need to ensure price stability against the potential risks of hindering economic growth within the eurozone.
The ECB decided to keep its key interest rates unchanged at its latest policy meeting, following a rate hike in June, which was the first since 2023.