The UK’s annual core inflation rate rose to 2.8% in September 2026, up from 2.6% recorded in each of the previous four months. This marked the highest reading since March and slightly surpassed market expectations of 2.7%. The pickup was driven by faster price increases in both goods (3.2% versus 2.7% in August) and services (3.7% versus 3.4%). On a monthly basis, core consumer prices grew by 0.2%, easing from a 0.3% rise in August.