Preliminary data from Eurostat indicates that annual inflation in Bulgaria reached 6.2% in April 2026, marking the highest rate among countries in the euro area. Concurrently, overall Eurozone inflation is projected to increase for the fourth consecutive month, reaching 3.0% in April from 2.6% in March. Among the member states, Lithuania reported the highest inflation at 4.9%, followed by Greece (4.6%), Belgium (4.3%), and Slovakia (4.0%).
Conversely, Finland (2.3%), Malta (2.4%), the Netherlands, and France all recorded the lowest rates at 2.5%. Analyzing the main drivers of Eurozone inflation, energy is anticipated to show the largest annual increase in April, rising to 10.9% from 5.1% in March. Services inflation is expected to increase slightly to 3.0% (up from 3.2% in March), while food, alcohol, and tobacco registered 2.5% (compared to 2.4%), and non-energy industrial goods rose to 0.8% (from 0.7%).
In contrast, Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute (NSI) reported a flash estimate for April 2026, projecting monthly inflation at 2.0% and the annual rate at 7.1%. The NSI data utilizes the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whereas Eurostat’s figures are based on the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices. This flash data provides an early indicator of price dynamics for Bulgaria following its accession to the monetary union on January 1, 2026.
Topics: #inflation #annual #april
