30.09.202606:57:13UTC+00France Inflation Rate Tops 3%

France’s annual inflation rate rose for a third consecutive month, reaching 3% in September 2026—the highest level since February 2024—up from 2.4% in August and above market expectations of 2.8%, according to preliminary estimates.

Energy prices accelerated again, increasing by 21.2% after a 16.7% rise in August, driven primarily by higher prices for petroleum products and gas. Services inflation also edged up, to 2.2% from 1.9%, partly because the usual seasonal declines in accommodation and transport prices are expected to be less pronounced than in September 2025.

Food prices rose at a faster pace, climbing 1.5% after 1.1% previously, with fresh products showing particularly strong increases. Prices for manufactured goods slipped 0.3%, a slightly smaller decline than the 0.4% drop recorded earlier. Meanwhile, tobacco prices advanced 3.3%, unchanged from August.

On a monthly basis, the consumer price index (CPI) fell 0.3% in September, following a 0.7% increase in the previous month.