France’s inflation rate eased markedly at the start of the year, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rising 0.3% year-over-year in January 2026, down from 0.8% previously. The latest data, updated on 18 February 2026, underscore a significant cooling in price pressures compared with the pace registered earlier.
Both the current and previous readings are measured on a year-over-year basis, comparing each January’s price levels to those of the same month a year earlier. The drop from 0.8% to 0.3% indicates that while consumer prices are still edging higher, they are doing so at a much slower rate than before, signaling a further moderation in inflation across the French economy.