Austria’s annual inflation rate accelerated to 3.3% in April 2026, up from 3.1% in March, according to preliminary estimates. Manuela Lenk, Director General of Statistics at Statistics Austria, noted that geopolitical tensions continued to fuel price pressures, particularly for fuels and heating oil. Energy prices were 10.7% higher than a year earlier, a marked increase from the 6.2% rise recorded in March.
The fuel price cap introduced in April lowered gasoline and diesel prices by up to 10 cents per litre and is estimated to have reduced the inflation rate by as much as 0.2 percentage points. At the same time, the earlier timing of Easter—two weeks sooner than in the previous year—had a dampening effect on package holiday prices.
Services, which remain the main driver of inflation, saw their price growth ease to 3.9% in April from 4.5% in March. Prices for food, tobacco and alcohol rose by 2.7%, compared with a 2.4% increase in the previous month. On a monthly basis, consumer prices climbed 0.3% in April, moderating from a 1.2% rise in March.
