BRUSSELS, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Eurozone annual inflation is expected to rise to 3.8 percent in September from 3.2 percent in August, reaching its highest level since September 2023, according to a flash estimate released Friday by Eurostat.
Eurozone inflation stood at 2.8 percent in June before rising to 2.9 percent in July and 3.2 percent in August. The September data marked three consecutive months of acceleration.
Among the main components, energy is expected to record the highest annual rate in September at 18.8 percent, up from 14.3 percent in August. Services inflation is forecast to pick up to 3.2 percent from 3.0 percent, and food, alcohol and tobacco inflation to 1.4 percent from 1.1 percent. Inflation for non-energy industrial goods, however, is expected to ease to 1.1 percent from 1.2 percent.
Core inflation, which excludes energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, is expected to edge up to 2.5 percent in September from 2.4 percent in August.
Inflation also accelerated in four of the eurozone's largest economies, with Germany's climbing to 3.3 percent from 2.9 percent, France's rising to 3.4 percent from 2.6 percent, Italy's up to 4.1 percent from 3.2 percent, and Spain's to 5.0 percent from 4.6 percent.
Across the eurozone, Lithuania is expected to record the highest annual inflation rate in September at 6.1 percent, followed by Bulgaria at 5.6 percent, while Malta is expected to post the lowest rate at 2.4 percent.
In its September projections, the European Central Bank forecast eurozone headline inflation to average 3.0 percent in 2026 and peak at 3.6 percent in the fourth quarter, mainly due to higher energy prices.
ING economist Bert Colijn said Friday that the September increase was still mainly driven by energy prices. He said the rise in food and core inflation pointed to early signs that higher costs were spilling over into other price categories, although the evidence remained preliminary. ■