Preliminary data from Eurostat indicated that Bulgaria’s annual inflation rate reached 6.2% in April 2026, marking the highest rate among countries within the Euro area. Concurrently, overall Eurozone inflation is projected to increase for the fourth consecutive month, reaching 3.0% in April compared to 2.6% in March. Among the Euro area nations, Lithuania reported the highest rates following Bulgaria, at 4.9%, while the lowest rates were recorded in Finland (2.3%) and Malta (2.4%).
Analyzing component changes, energy is expected to show the largest annual increase in April at 10.9%, up significantly from 5.1% in March. Services were forecast to rise by 3.0% (from 3.2% in March), while food, alcohol, and tobacco increased by 2.5% (compared to 2.4%). Separately, Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute (NSI) released a flash estimate on Wednesday, reporting that monthly inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was expected to hit 2.0% for April 2026.
The NSI data indicated that the annual inflation rate stood at 7.1%. These flash estimates provide early insights into price dynamics, allowing for direct comparison with the other 20 Euro area countries following Bulgaria’s accession to the monetary union on January 1, 2026. It is noted that Eurostat’s figures utilize the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), whereas the NSI data are based on CPI measurements.
Topics: #inflation #annual #april
