Malta’s annual inflation rate eased to 2.0% in August 2026, down slightly from 2.1% in July. Price growth slowed for several major categories, including food and non-alcoholic beverages (1.6% vs 1.7% in July), furnishings and household equipment (1.1% vs 2.9%), restaurants and hotels (2.9% vs 3.3%), and insurance and financial services (0.7% vs 1.0%). Inflation was unchanged for alcoholic beverages and tobacco (1.8%), health (2.8%), recreation and culture (3.2%), education (3.2%), and miscellaneous goods and services (3.7%).
The decline in information and communication costs deepened, with prices falling 3.4% year-on-year compared with a 1.6% drop in July. By contrast, prices rebounded in clothing and footwear (up 1.6% after a 3.6% fall), and continued to rise in transportation (2.3% vs 1.9%) and housing and utilities (3.1% vs 3.0%).
On a monthly basis, consumer prices increased 0.6% in August, following a 0.5% rise in the previous month.
