Preliminary data from Eurostat indicates that the annual inflation rate in Bulgaria reached 6.2% in April 2026, positioning it as having the highest rate among Euro area countries. Concurrently, Eurozone-wide inflation is projected to increase for the fourth consecutive month, reaching 3.0% in April from 2.6% in March. Among the Euro area nations, following Bulgaria’s accession on January 1, 2026, Lithuania recorded the highest annual inflation rate at 4.9%.
Other notable rates included Greece at 4.6%, Belgium at 4.3%, and Slovakia at 4.0%. Conversely, Finland (2.3%), Malta (2.4%), the Netherlands, and France all reported rates of 2.5% or lower. Examining the main drivers of Euro area inflation, energy is anticipated to show the largest annual increase in April at 10.9%, up from 5.1% in March.
Service prices are expected to rise by 3.0% (compared to 3.2% in March), while food, alcohol, and tobacco saw a 2.5% increase from 2.4%, and non-energy industrial goods rose 0.8% from 0.7%. Separately, Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute (NSI) provided a flash estimate for its own figures on Wednesday. The NSI reported that monthly inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index, is expected to hit 2.0% in April, with the annual rate projected at 7.1%.
These flash estimates offer early insights into price dynamics, allowing direct comparison with the other 20 Euro area countries following Bulgaria’s integration into the monetary union. It is noted that the NSI data utilizes CPI measurements, whereas Eurostat’s figures are based on the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices.
Topics: #inflation #annual #april
Inflation seems to be a persistent problem across the board, especially with Bulgaria leading the rate.