Belgium’s annual inflation rate rose to 5.26% in October 2026, its highest level since April 2023, up from 4.69% in September. The acceleration was mainly driven by energy, with energy inflation jumping to 33.22% from 24.37%, and electricity inflation increasing to 23.7% from 13.1%.
Price growth also quickened in several key categories: housing, water and energy (9.51% vs. 6.92%), transport (6.98% vs. 5.29%), recreation and culture (8.95% vs. 8.16%), hotels and restaurants (5.06% vs. 3.7%), and health (6.74% vs. 6.62%).
By contrast, inflation excluding energy eased to 2.6% from 2.83%, while food prices were broadly stable after a modest 0.26% increase. The EU-harmonised annual inflation rate climbed to 5.2% in October, its highest level since July 2024, up from 4.5% in September.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose by 0.91%, accelerating from a 0.39% increase in the previous month.
