Stats: Average EU-harmonised Inflation Slows Down to 3.1 percent Y-o-Y in August

Bratislava, 17 September (TASR) - Year-on-year (y-o-y) inflation measured by the EU's Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) stood at 3.1 percent in August 2026, making it the lowest level since September 2024, when it amounted to 2.9 percent, the Statistics Office reported on Thursday. Price movements in both directions across individual sectors of the consumer basket resulted in zero monthly harmonised inflation. The average annual rate of harmonised inflation for the period between September 2025 and August 2026 fell slightly to 3.9 percent compared with the period between September 2024 and August 2025. Concerning monthly developments, prices grew in six of the 13 monitored segments (household expenditure groups), with increases ranging from 0.1 percent in housing including energy and social services up to 1.3 percent in the segment of transport. Prices for educational services, as well insurance and financial services remained unchanged compared with the previous month. Conversely, prices fell in five segments, with drops ranging between 0.4 percent in the segments of health care and foodstuffs including non-alcoholic beverages up to 0.8 percent in clothing and footwear. Year-on-year, prices were higher in 12 out of 13 sectors, ranging from 0.4 percent in clothing and footwear to 9.5 percent in housing including energy. Y-o-y harmonised inflation was dampened solely by a 2.5 percent fall in prices in food and non-alcoholic beverages. ko