Eurostat: Romania has the highest annual inflation rate in the EU, at 6.5%, in September

Emese Grancsa

16 October 2026, 18:54

Economy

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Romania recorded the highest annual inflation rate in the European Union in September 2026, at 6.5%, according to data published by Eurostat on Friday. The level was 2.7 percentage points above the EU average of 3.8%.

Romania was followed in the ranking of countries with the highest inflation by Lithuania, at 6.1%, and Bulgaria, at 5.6%. At the other end of the scale were Sweden, at 1%, and Hungary and Denmark, each at 2.1%.

In August, Romania’s annual inflation rate was 6.3%, while the European Union average stood at 3.2%. Compared with the previous month, the annual inflation rate fell in just one Member State, remained stable in three and increased in 23 countries.

In the euro area, annual inflation reached 3.8% in September, up from 3.2% in August and 2.2% a year earlier. Across the EU, the rate rose from 3.2% in August and 2.6% in September 2025.

According to Eurostat, in the euro area, energy made the largest contribution to inflation, at 1.71 percentage points, followed by services, at 1.52 percentage points. Non-energy industrial goods contributed 0.29 percentage points, while food, alcohol and tobacco contributed 0.25 percentage points.

Context: Romania remains in first place in the EU for inflation, after a decline in August and a rebound in September

In August 2026, Romania continued to be the country with the highest annual inflation rate in the European Union, reaching 6.3%, after having fallen significantly compared with the previous month. Across the EU, annual inflation rose to 3.2% during the same period, while in the euro area the indicator increased to 3.2%.

At the same time, earlier data showed that developments in Romania were also influenced by fuel price dynamics. In July, Romania recorded the largest annual increase in the prices of fuels and lubricants for personal transport in the EU, while in the following months inflation continued to be monitored in the context of price changes by category.

Moreover, in September 2026, annual inflation in Romania returned to an upward trend after a period of deflation, according to data published by INS, paving the way for the country's top position in the European inflation ranking.