Informations Rapides · 15 October 2026 · n° 247

In September 2026, consumer prices rose by 3.1% year on year Consumer price index - final results - September 2026

In September 2026, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell back by 0.3% over one month, after +0.7% in August. This decrease in prices was explained by the seasonal decrease in services prices (‑1.4% after ‑0.1%), mainly those of accommodation services (‑15.0% after +0.9%) and transport (‑9.8% after ‑4.5%). The prices of energy increased for the third consecutive month (+3.9% after +3.4% in August and +2.3% in July). Those of manufactured products slowed down (+0.5% after +1.6%) as did those of food (+0.1% after +0.4%). The prices of tobacco were stable as in the previous month.

Seasonally adjusted, consumer prices increased from the previous month by 0.8% in September 2026, after +0.2% in August.

Year on year, consumer prices rose by 3.1% in September 2026 after +2.4% in August. The increase in inflation was primarily explained by the further acceleration in energy prices (+21.3% after +16.7% in August and +12.6% in July). Those of services (+2.4% after +1.9%) and of food also accelerated over a year (+1.4% after +1.1%). The decrease in manufactured products prices eased again (‑0.3% after ‑0.4% in August and -0.7% in July). Those of tobacco increased over a year at the same rate as in the previous month (+3.3%).

Core inflation (year-on-year change in the index) stood at +1.5% in September 2026, after +1.1% in August.

The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) fell back by 0.3% over one month, after +0.7% in August. Year on year, it rose by 3.4%, after +2.6% in August.

This month, the difference between the year-on-year changes in the HICP and the CPI was 0.34 points, after 0.27 points in August: 0.33 points of this gap were due to differences in the weightings of the two indices, and 0.01 points were due to differences in the trends between net and gross prices.

Year on year, energy prices accelerated again: +21.3% in September 2026, after +16.7% in August and +12.6% in July.

The prices of petroleum products accelerated over one year (+36.2% after +28.7%), driven by those of diesel (+44.1% after +36.4%), petrol (+25.7% after +19.1%), and liquid fuels (+64.6% after +47.8%).

The prices of gas also accelerated (+19.0% after +14.3%) as did those of electricity (+1.4% after +1.1%).

Year on year, services prices accelerated: +2.4% in September 2026, after +1.9% in August.

The prices of transport services accelerated markedly over a year (+5.1% after +0.8%). This acceleration was explained by that in prices of airfares (+10.0% after +1.7%) and, to a lesser extent, by that in transport by train (+4.6% after +1.2%). Road transport prices, meanwhile, stabilised (+0.2% after -1.5%).

The prices of “other services” also accelerated other a year (+2.4% after +2.1%) driven by those of accommodation services (+4.9% after +0.7%), insurances (+4.4% after +3.7%) and, to a well lesser extent, those of social protection (child care services, retirement homes for elderly persons and residences for disabled persons, services to maintain people in their private home; +3.2% after +3.1%). The prices of cultural services decreased over a year at a slower pace than in the previous month (‑0.6% after ‑3.0%) as did those of recreational services (‑0.9% after ‑1.5%). For their part, the prices of food and beverage serving services increased over a year at the same rate as in the previous month (+2.1%).

The prices of health services accelerated slightly over a year (+0.8% after +0.5%) as did those of rents, water and refuse collection (+2.1% after +2.0%).

On the contrary, the prices of communication services slowed down, while remaining buoyant, over a year (+6.2% after +10.1%) reflecting the slowdown in those of mobile communication services (+16.9% after +27.9%).

Year on year, the prices of food accelerated: +1.4% in September 2026, after +1.1% in August.

The prices of fresh products accelerated again over one year (+9.5% after +5.9% in August and +3.8% in July), mainly due to the impact of heatwaves, particularly those of fresh fruit-bearing vegetables (tomatoes, courgettes, etc.; +35.8% after +22.3%), those of “other fresh vegetables” (carrots, turnips, garlic, onions, leeks etc.; +5.6% after ‑1.2%) and those of “other fresh fruits” (melons, watermelons, etc.; +9.9% after +3.1%). On the opposite, the prices of dates, figs and tropical fruits slowed down (+2.5% after +4.0%).

The prices of food excluding fresh products rose over a year at the same pace as in the previous month (+0.4%), as did those of milk, other dairy products and eggs (+0.2%) and those of alcoholic beverages (+0.3%). On the one hand, prices of non-alcoholic beverages slowed down over a year (+0.6% after +1.1%), like those of meat (+1.9% after +2.1%), along with the deeper fall in prices of bread and cereals (‑0.4% after ‑0.3%). On the other hand, prices of sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery accelerated slightly year on year (+0.9% after +0.8%) and the fall in oil and fats prices eased (‑1.2% after ‑1.3%).

Year on year, the fall in prices of manufactured products eased: ‑0.3% in September 2026, after ‑0.4% in August and -0.7% in July.

The prices of “other manufactured products” accelerated over a year (+0.4% after +0.1%). Those of games, toys and hobbies fell over a year at a slower pace than in the previous month (‑0.4% after ‑2.0%) as did those of equipment for sport (‑1.9% after ‑2.6%), of “other personal vehicle accessories” (‑2.5% after ‑4.1%) and of information and communication equipment (‑0.1% after ‑0.8%). The prices of furnitures and furnishings accelerated (+1.7% after +1.3%) as did those of jewellery and watches (+12.2% after +11.4%). On the other hand, the prices of “other articles and products for personal care” slowed down over a year (+0.1% after +0.9%) as did those of vehicles (+0.1% after +0.4%).

The prices of clothing and footwear fell at the a slower pace than in the previous month (‑0.9% after ‑1.4%) while those of health products declined at the same rate as in August (‑2.3%).

Year on year, in hyper and supermarkets, the prices of industrial food, cleaning and hygiene/beauty products fell slightly in September (‑0.3% after ‑0.2% in August). Those of industrial food fell at the same pace as in the previous month (‑0.2%), as did those of cleaning and hygiene/beauty products sold in hyper and supermarkets (‑0.4%).

Compared to the provisional estimates published on 30 September 2026, CPI year-on-year change is revised upwards by 0.1 points and its month-on-month change is confirmed. HICP year-on-year change is confirmed and its month-on-month change is revised upwards by 0.1 points.