Annual inflation in Italy rose to 4.2% in September on energy prices
Istat confirmed its flash estimate for the national consumer price index, with annual inflation up from 3.3% in August, driven mainly by regulated and non-regulated energy products.
AI illustrationAnnual consumer price inflation in Italy rose to 4.2% in September 2026 from 3.3% the month before, Istat said, confirming its flash estimate for the national consumer price index (NIC). Prices rose 0.7% from August.
According to the statistics institute, energy was the main force behind the faster pace. Annual growth in prices of regulated energy products went from 18.6% to 25.8%, and for non-regulated energy products from 17.0% to 22.5%. Unprocessed food also contributed, rising from 3.8% to 5.5%, as did services related to recreation, including repair and personal care, which went from 2.6% to 2.9%, and services related to transport, up from 0.8% to 1.6%.
Underlying measures moved up more modestly. Core inflation, which leaves out energy and unprocessed food, was 1.6% in September after 1.5% in August. Inflation excluding energy reached 2.0%, up from 1.7%.
Grocery and unprocessed food prices increased 0.4% on the month and 1.5% on the year, compared with 0.9% in August.
On a monthly basis, the rise in the overall index came mainly from regulated energy products, up 5.8%, non-regulated energy products, up 4.6%, and unprocessed food, up 2.2%. Recreation-related services, including repair and personal care, gained 0.5% and durable goods 0.4%. Transport-related services fell 2.5% and processed food including alcohol dropped 0.6%.
The harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) also showed annual inflation of 4.2%, up from 3.2% in August and slightly above the flash estimate of 4.1%. That index rose 2.1% from the previous month, which Istat attributed to summer sales that the NIC does not take into account.
Istat said that in the third quarter of 2026, HICP inflation was higher for households with lower spending capacity, at 4.4%, than for those with a higher level of equivalent expenditure, at 2.9%.