The price of bread could increase significantly in 2026: Warning about increases of up to 38.6%

Energy expert Dumitru Chisăliță warns that the price of bread could increase significantly in 2026, even by up to 38.6%, against the backdrop of rising energy and fuel costs.

This increase is influenced by a 30% rise in diesel prices and a 60% rise in natural gas prices. In a realistic scenario, a 60% increase in gas prices could lead to a 15.8% increase in bread prices, while in an opportunistic scenario, it could lead to a 26.7% increase. If diesel prices rise by 50%, estimates suggest a 19.4% increase in the realistic scenario and 32.67% in the opportunistic one.

Chisăliță emphasizes that, in the case of larger increases in diesel prices, the market reaction will not be linear, and the measures taken by the authorities will not have a significant impact on bread prices in 2026. The National Bank of Romania confirms that consumer prices are influenced by costs and expectations, but tempered by weaker demand.