Stats: Inflation Rose to 3.9 percent Y-o-Y in April 2026 Due to Fuel Prices

Bratislava, 14 May (TASR) - Inflation rose to 3.9 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) in April 2026, with consumer prices of goods and services up by 0.5 percent month-on-month (m-o-m), the second-highest increase this year after January (up 1.8 percent) due in particular to a sharp rise in transport, with fuel prices increasing by as much as 11.9 percent, the Statistics Office reported on Thursday, adding that the y-o-y increase was also the second-highest since January of this year. In monthly terms, prices rose in ten of the thirteen household expenditure groups, ranging from 0.1 percent for clothing and footwear and for education services, to 4.6 percent in transport. Conversely, prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages fell by 0.2 percent, while those of furniture and household equipment, as well as of insurance and financial services, remained unchanged. The month-on-month result was primarily affected by a sharp rise in prices within the transport sector, with fuel prices surging by a record growth rate of 11.9 percent, mostly on the back of higher oil prices. This was mitigated somewhat by a fall in prices in the category of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which accounts for the second-largest share of household expenditures in Slovakia. Year-on-year, prices were higher across all 13 household expenditure groups, ranging from a 0.7-percent increase in clothing and footwear to 7.2 percent in transport when compared to April 2025. A significant impact on annual inflation came from housing and energy (up 6.3 percent), the biggest component of household spending in Slovakia. The effects of regulatory measures introduced in January continued to be reflected in April prices, particularly in heating energy, which rose by 27.8 percent year-on-year, while higher prices were also recorded for imputed rent and water and sewer rates. Prices in the transport sector had a significantly adverse impact on inflation trends, with prices rising dynamically by 7.2 percent in April, the biggest hike since February 2023. This was primarily due to fuel prices surging by 15.3 percent, the biggest increase since November 2022. Motor vehicle prices also went up for the first time this year. The second-most significant component in the structure of household expenditures, the category of food and non-alcoholic beverages, saw y-o-y price growth slow down to 1.0 percent, the slowest rate since November 2025, while the slower growth in food prices (up 0.3 percent) also mitigated the overall annual inflation rate for April. jrg/df