Consumer price indices - inflation - September 2026

Month-on-month comparison

Overall consumer price level in September remained unchanged, month-on-month. However, price development varied in individual divisions of the consumer basket. In 'recreation, sport and culture', prices of package holidays went down by 20.7% due to the end of summer season. In 'food and non-alcoholic beverages', the biggest price drop was recorded for bread and bakery products by 1.4%, vegetables by 1.3% (of which prices of potatoes were lower by 7.2%), fruits by 1.3%, cheese by 1.0% and yoghurts by 2.5%. On the other hand, month-on-month price level increase came mainly from price growth in 'transport', where prices of fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment increased by 8.1%. In 'housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels', prices of actual rentals increased by 0.4% and solid fuels by 1.4%. In 'information and communication', prices of mobile telephone equipment were higher by 7.7.% and prices of computers, laptops and tablets by 2.2%. Price development in 'alcoholic beverages, tobacco' was influenced by price growth of tobacco products by 0.7% and beer by 1.1%. In food, especially prices of pork were higher by 4.7% and butter by 12.4%. As the new school year started, prices in 'education services' increased by 4.1%. Fees in kindergartens increased by 4.1%, tuition fees at private secondary schools by 6.9%, fees for foreign language learning by 3.9%, fees in schools of art (base level) by 2.8% and fees in after school care centres by 1.5%.

Prices of goods in total increased by 0.6%, while prices of services decreased by 0.9%.

Year-on-year comparison

“Consumer prices accelerated their year-on-year growth for the third consecutive month and amounted to 2.5% in September. This acceleration was again significantly influenced by prices of fuels,” noted Pavla Sediva, head of Consumer Price Statistics Unit of CZSO.

Year-on-year growth of consumer prices in September was higher by 0.6 percentage points than in August, which came mainly from the acceleration¹⁾ of price growth in 'transport' and slowdown of price decrease in 'food and non-alcoholic beverages'. In 'transport', especially prices of fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment were higher by 37.5% (growth by 26.2% in August). In 'food and non-alcoholic beverages', prices of pork in September decreased by 15.5%, year-on-year (decrease by 23.7% in August), UHT semi-skimmed milk by 20.0% (decrease by 24.6% in August). Prices of vegetables accelerated their growth to 8.1% in September (increase by 5.1% in August).

The biggest influence on the growth of the year-on-year price level in September came from prices in 'transport' mentioned above (increase by 13.2%). They were followed by prices in 'housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels', where beside owner occupied housing costs prices of actual rentals²⁾ were higher by 6.1%, materials and services for the maintenance and repairs of the dwelling by 5.1%, water supply by 3.9%, sewage collection by 3.8% and heat and hot water by 1.6%. Prices of electricity decreased by 10.6% and natural gas by 4.0%, year-on-year. In 'alcoholic beverages, tobacco', prices of spirits and liquors were higher by 1.2%, wine by 1.4%, beer by 2.0% and tobacco products by 7.1%. In 'restaurants and accommodation services', prices of food and beverage serving services were higher by 3.8% and accommodation services by 7.0%. On the other hand, year-on-year overall price level decrease in September came mainly from prices in 'food and non-alcoholic beverages'. Here, beside already mentioned above, prices of eggs decreased by 12.6%, butter by 37.3% and margarine and similar preparations by 10.3%. Price drop continued in 'clothing and footwear', where prices of garments were lower by 2.7% and prices of shoes and other footwear by 5.0%.

Owner occupied housing costs (imputed rentals) increased by 5.1%, year-on-year (by 5.4% in August), mainly due to growth of prices of construction works and also 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 increased by 1.2% and prices of services by 4.6%.

Level of consumer price base index with base period the average of 2025 = 100, was 102.6% in September (102.6% also in August).

Inflation rate, i.e. the increase in the average consumer price index in the twelve months to September 2026 compared with the average CPI in the previous twelve months, amounted to 2.0% (2.0% also in August).

Harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) ³⁾

According to preliminary calculations, the HICP in Czechia in September decreased by 0.1%, month-on-month and increased by 2.2% (1.5% in August), year-on-year. According to flash estimates of Eurostat, the MUICP (Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices) in September 2026 amounted to 3.8%, year-on-year (3.2% in August), 3.3% in Germany and 3.1% in Slovakia. It was the highest in Lithuania (6.1%) in September and the lowest in Malta (0.3%).

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 3.2% in August (0.2 percentage point up on July). In August, the rise in prices was the highest in Romania (6.3%) and the lowest in Sweden (0.3%).

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

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