The United Kingdom’s core Retail Price Index (RPI) accelerated to 4.0% year-over-year in March 2026, up from 3.5% in February 2026, according to the latest data updated on 22 April 2026. The figure signals a renewed pickup in underlying price pressures after a period of easing.
The data are based on year-over-year comparisons, with the March reading reflecting the change in core RPI relative to March a year earlier, while the February figure measured the change versus the same month in the prior year. The move from 3.5% to 4.0% suggests that, despite earlier signs of moderation, core inflationary forces in the UK economy remain resilient.
Investors and policymakers will be closely watching whether March’s increase marks the start of a new upward trend or a temporary bump in the disinflation process, as core RPI remains a key gauge of underlying price dynamics stripped of the most volatile components.
