Croatia’s annual inflation rate increased to 3.8% in February 2026, up from 3.4% in January, reaching its highest level since November 2025 and matching preliminary estimates. Price growth accelerated in several categories, including food and non-alcoholic beverages (2.9% vs. 2.1% in January), housing and utilities (10.2% vs. 10.1%), information and communication (3.2% vs. 2.4%), recreation, sport, and culture (3.7% vs. 3.3%), and alcoholic beverages and tobacco (7.7% vs. 7.5%). Transport prices also rebounded, rising 0.8% after a 0.3% decline in the previous month.
By contrast, price increases slowed in health (3.8% vs. 4.1%) and restaurants and accommodation services (6.3% vs. 6.8%), while clothing and footwear prices were flat after a 0.8% rise in January. On a monthly basis, consumer prices edged up 0.3% in February, matching the pace recorded in January. In EU-harmonised terms, the annual inflation rate rose to 3.9% from 3.6%.
