Euro Area Inflation Hits 2.9% in July as EU Rate Edges Up

The euro area's annual inflation rate rose to 2.9% in July 2026, up from 2.8% in June, according to Eurostat.

In contrast, the European Union (EU) saw a slight increase to 3.0% from 2.9%, while both rates were lower than last year's levels: 2.0% for the euro area and 2.4% for the EU.

The lowest annual inflation rates in July 2026 were recorded in Sweden at 0.3%, Czechia at 1.3%, and Denmark and Hungary each at 1.6%. The highest rates, meanwhile, were in Romania with 8.2%, followed by Lithuania's 5.4% and Cyprus and Bulgaria's 4.4% each.