Hungary’s annual inflation rate rose to 1.6% in September 2026, up from 1.3% in August, reaching its highest level since June. The uptick was mainly driven by higher prices for alcoholic beverages and tobacco (3.3% vs. 3.2% in August), as well as for other goods, including fuels (2.8% vs. 1.2%). Prices also continued to climb for consumer durables (1.2% vs. 1.5%) and services (4.9% vs. 5%), although the pace of increase slowed in both categories.
In contrast, prices fell for food (-1.3% vs. -1.4%), clothing (-0.4% vs. -0.2%), and household energy (-0.4% vs. -4.3%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose by 0.2% in September, matching the rate recorded in the previous month. Meanwhile, core inflation—which excludes volatile items such as food and energy—edged down to 1.9% from 2.0% in August.
