The sharpest increases in food prices were recorded in beef, up 25.6%, chocolates, up 16.7%, coffee, up 15%, fruit, up 13.5%, lamb and goat meat, up 12.1%, margarine, up 9.2%, vegetables, up 7.2%, poultry, up 6.5%, fish, up 5.4%, meat preparations, up 4.5%, and dairy products and eggs, up 3.2%. By contrast, prices fell for olive oil, down 27.4%, other edible oils, down 11.9%, and pasta, down 5.2%.
Price rises were also recorded in clothing and footwear, up 10.1%, housing rents, up 8.2%, electricity, up 3%, passenger air travel, up 10.9%, new cars, up 2.9%, package holidays, up 7.1%, restaurants and pastry shops, up 6.8%, and health insurance premiums, up 7%. On the other hand, prices fell for natural gas, down 19.3%, heating oil, down 7.7%, and information and communication equipment, down 6%.
On a monthly basis, increases were recorded in beef, up 1.3%, lamb and goat meat, up 1.6%, fruit, up 2.2%, vegetables, up 3.1%, housing rents, up 0.4%, water supply, up 2%, electricity, up 1.1%, natural gas, up 14.8%, heating oil, up 2.8%, fuels and lubricants, up 1.2%, and hotel prices, up 8.6%.
According to ELSTAT, the annual increase in the general consumer price index in February was driven mainly by changes in the following groups of goods and services:
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Increases in the indices of:
• 5.2% in the ‘Food and non-alcoholic beverages’ group, due mainly to higher prices for bread and other bakery products, beef, pork, lamb and goat meat, poultry, meat preparations, fish and seafood, dairy products and eggs, margarine and other vegetable fats, fruit, vegetables, chocolate products, confectionery and coffee. Part of this increase was offset by lower prices for pasta, olive oil, other edible oils, and salt, sauces and condiments.
• 10.1% in the ‘Clothing and footwear’ group, due to higher prices for clothing and footwear.
• 2.6% in the ‘Housing’ group, due mainly to higher prices for rents, home repairs and maintenance, various housing-related services and electricity. Part of this increase was offset by lower prices for natural gas and heating oil.
• 0.5% in the ‘Health’ group, due mainly to higher prices for outpatient and hospital services. Part of this increase was offset by lower prices for pharmaceutical products.
• 1% in the ‘Transport’ group, due mainly to higher prices for new cars, spare parts and accessories for personal transport equipment, maintenance and repair services, other services related to personal transport equipment, and passenger air fares. Part of this increase was offset by lower prices for used cars and fuels and lubricants.
• 1.5% in the ‘Recreation, sport and culture’ group, due mainly to higher prices for durable leisure goods, gardening products and pets, and package holidays.
• 2.8% in the ‘Education’ group, due mainly to higher tuition fees in pre-school, primary and secondary education.
• 6.5% in the ‘Hotels, cafés and restaurants’ group, due mainly to higher prices in restaurants, pastry shops, fast food outlets and canteens.
• 1.5% in the ‘Insurance and financial services’ group, due mainly to higher health insurance premiums. Part of this increase was offset by lower vehicle insurance premiums.
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Reductions in the indices of:
• 2.4% in the ‘Information and communication’ group, due mainly to lower prices for information and communication equipment, mobile telephony services and telephone service bundles.
• 0.6% in the ‘Personal care, social protection and other goods and services’ group, due mainly to lower prices for personal hygiene and care products and appliances. Part of this decrease was offset by higher prices in hairdressing salons, personal care shops and other services.
At the same time, the general index increased by 0.1% in February 2026 compared with January 2026, whereas a decrease of 0.1% had been recorded in the corresponding comparison a year earlier.
As for harmonised inflation, it rose by 3.1% in February 2026 compared with February 2025, against an increase of 3% in the corresponding comparison between 2025 and 2024. Compared with January 2026, it increased by 0.3%, whereas there had been no change in the corresponding comparison a year earlier.
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