Eurozone annual inflation accelerated to 3.2% in August 2026, matching May’s two-and-a-half-year high but falling slightly below the preliminary estimate of 3.3%. The rate remained well above the ECB’s 2% target, with energy inflation surging to 14.3%, its highest since January 2023, amid continued fighting in the Middle East. Inflation for unprocessed food and non-energy industrial goods also accelerated. Services inflation eased to a four-month low of 3.0%, while core inflation, excluding energy and food, declined to 2.4% from 2.5%. Inflation rose in Germany, France, Spain and Italy, while the Netherlands recorded a slowdown.