Consumer price indices - inflation - April 2026

Month-on-month comparison

Consumer prices in April increased by 0.5%, month-on-month. In 'transport', especially prices of fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment were higher by 7.3%. Prices of motor cars went up by 0.3%. In 'alcoholic beverages, tobacco', mainly prices of spirits and liquors were higher by 2.1%, tobacco products by 0.6% and wine by 1.9%. Price rise in 'housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels' came especially from higher prices of actual rentals by 0.4% and heat and hot water by 0.9%. Month-on-month overall price level decrease in April came mainly from prices in 'food and non-alcoholic beverages', where especially prices of pork were lower by 8.8%, poultry by 4.0%, potatoes by 8.6%, UHT semi-skimmed milk by 12.4% and eggs by 3.8%. On the other hand, prices of fruits increased by 1.8%, vegetables by 1.4%, sugar by 13.5%, margarine and similar preparations by 11.1%, non-alcoholic drinks by 0.9%, chocolate and cocoa by 2.3%, oils and fats by 2.0%. In 'recreation, sport and culture', prices of package holidays were lower by 3.0%.

Prices of goods in total increased by 0.7% and prices of services by 0.3%.

Year-on-year comparison

“Consumer price development in April was again significantly influenced by prices of fuels and lubricants. Diesel was sold for CZK 44.50 per litre and petrol Natural 95 for CZK 41.10 per litre, on average. These were the highest values since October and November 2022, respectively,” noted Pavla Sediva, head of Consumer Price Statistics Unit of CZSO.

Consumer prices increased by 2.5% in April, which was 0.6 percentage points up on March, year-on-year. This acceleration¹⁾ of the year-on-year price growth came mainly from prices in 'transport'. In 'transport', prices of fuel and lubricants for personal transport equipment accelerated their growth to 24.6% (increase by 13.1% in March).

The biggest influence on the growth of the year-on-year price level in April came from already mentioned above prices in 'transport' (increase by 8.7%). Next in order of influence were prices in 'alcoholic beverages, tobacco', where prices of spirits and liquors were higher by 5.8%, wine also by 5.8%, beer by 2.7% and tobacco products by 5.6%. In 'housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels', beside owner occupied housing costs, prices of actual rentals²⁾ were higher by 6.3%, materials and services for the maintenance and repairs of the dwelling by 3.9%, water supply by 3.9%, sewage collection by 3.8% and heat and hot water by 1.9%. Prices of electricity decreased by 11.6% and natural gas by 5.6%, year-on-year. In 'restaurants and accommodation services', prices of food and beverage serving services were higher by 4.0% and accommodation services by 6.4%. Price development in 'recreation, sport and culture' was influenced mainly by higher prices of recreational services by 6.1%. On the other hand, year-on-year overall price level decrease in April came again from prices in 'food and non-alcoholic beverages', where prices of pork decreased by 15.6%, UHT semi-skimmed milk by 28.9%, butter by 25.2% and potatoes by 30.4%. Price drop continued in 'clothing and footwear', where prices of garments were lower by 2.1% and prices of shoes and other footwear by 4.6%.

Owner occupied housing costs (imputed rentals) increased by 5.5%, year-on-year (increase by 5.4% in March), mainly due to growth of prices of new real estates. The overall consumer price index excluding owner occupied housing costs was 102.2%, year-on-year. (More information: Methodological note.)

Prices of goods in total and services went up (1.1% and 4.8%, respectively).

Level of consumer price base index with base period the average of 2025 = 100, was 101.9% in April (101.4% in March).

Inflation rate, i.e. the increase in the average consumer price index in the twelve months to April 2026 compared with the average CPI in the previous twelve months, amounted to 2.2% (2.2% also in March).

Harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) ³⁾

According to preliminary calculations, the HICP in Czechia in April increased by 0.5%, month-on-month and by 2.1% (1.5% in March), year-on-year. According to flash estimates of Eurostat, the MUICP (Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices) in April 2026 amounted to 3.0%, year-on-year (2.6% in March), 2.9% in Germany and 4.0% in Slovakia. It was the highest in Bulgaria (6.2%) in April and the lowest in Finland (2.3%).

According to preliminary data of Eurostat, the year-on-year change in the average harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) in the EU27 member states amounted to 2.8% in March (0.7 percentage point up on February). In March, the rise in prices was the highest in Romania (9.0%) and the lowest in Denmark (1.0%).

(More information on the Eurostat’s web pages: HICP.)

____________________