Informations Rapides · 13 March 2026 · n° 60

In February 2026, consumer prices rose by 0.6% over one month and by 0.9% year on year Consumer price index - final results - February 2026

In February 2026, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.6% over one month, after ‑0.3% in January. This rebound in prices was due to the seasonal rise in prices of manufactured products (+1.4% after ‑1.9%), because of the end of sales in clothing and footwear (+5.9% after ‑10.2%), and to the increase in services prices (+0.5% after ‑0.1%), driven by the rebound, also seasonal, in those of transport (+4.1% after ‑7.9%). The prices of energy slowed down over one month (+0.3% after +0.8%), as did those of tobacco (+0.4% after +2.4%), while food prices were stable (after +0.5%).

Seasonally adjusted, consumer prices rebounded by 0.2% in February 2026, after ‑0.1% in January.

Year on year, consumer prices went up by 0.9% in February 2026, after +0.3% in January. The increase in inflation was mainly due to a less pronounced decline in prices of energy (‑2.9% after ‑7.6%), driven by a base effect on electricity prices which had fallen sharply in February 2025. Over one year, prices for manufactured goods fell by 0.2% in February 2026, after -1.2% in January, because of the timing of the annual sales compared to last year, with more sale days falling in January and fewer in February. Food prices accelerated slightly year on year (+2.0% after +1.9%), as did those of tobacco (+3.0% after +2.7%). Conversely, services prices slowed down slightly (+1.6% after +1.7%).

Year on year, core inflation stood at +0.9% in February 2026, after +0.7% in January.

The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) picked up by 0.7% over one month, after ‑0.4% in January. Year on year, it rose by 1.1% after +0.4% in January.

Year on year, energy prices fell at a slower pace than in the previous month: ‑2.9% in February 2026, after ‑7.6% in January.

The decrease in electricity prices slowed markedly (‑3.6% after ‑14.6% in January), due to a base effect: their month-on-month decline in February 2026 (‑1.3%) was much less pronounced than the one in February 2025 (-12.6%).

The prices of petroleum products also fell at a slower pace than in January (‑2.2% after ‑3.9%), as did those of diesel (‑1.4% after ‑3.7%), petrol (‑3.8% after ‑4.8%) and liquid fuels (‑0.4% after ‑2.2%).

Conversely, the decline in gas prices intensified again (‑3.3% after ‑1.7%).

Year on year, the prices of manufactured products fell by 0.2% in February 2026, after ‑1.2% in January, because of the timing of the annual sales compared to last year, with more sale days falling in January and fewer in February.

The prices of clothing and footwear picked up sharply year on year (+1.5% after ‑2.8%), reflecting the trend in clothing (+1.0% after ‑3.7%) and footwear (+3.0% after ‑1.7%) prices.

The prices of “other manufactured products” decreased less sharply (‑0.1% after ‑0.9%). The decrease slowed for prices of vehicle (‑0.3% after ‑1.0%) and articles and products for personal care (‑0.8% after ‑1.1%). Prices of furniture and furnishings rebounded (+1.0% after ‑0.7%), and those of parts for personal transport accelerated (+1.1% after +0.8%) like those of jewelry and watches (+11.5% after +9.4%). Conversely, the prices of non-durable household goods fell at a faster pace than the previous month (‑1.4% after ‑0.7%), and those of newspaper, book, and stationery slowed down slightly (+2.0% after +2.1%).

The prices of health products fell at a faster pace than in the previous month (‑1.9% after ‑1.6%).

Year on year, food prices rose for the fourth consecutive month: +2.0% after +1.9% in January.

Prices for fresh products accelerated again over a year (+1.8% after +1.1%), as did those of fruits bearing vegetables (+19.8% after +16.4%), fresh fish (+4.8% after +1.7%) and dates, figs and tropical fruits (+2.1% after +1.4%). Prices for fresh stone fruits and pome fruits fell at a slower pace than in the previous month (‑1.7% after ‑3.7%). Conversely, the prices of leafy or stem vegetables fell at a faster pace (‑6.4% after ‑3.1%), and those for fresh citrus fruit slowed down (+5.0% after +6.6%).

The prices of food excluding fresh products rose at the same rate as in January and in December (+2.0%). Meat prices accelerated again (+3.4% after +3.2%), as did those of milk, other dairy products and eggs (+1.3% after +1.0%), and those of sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery (+4.3% after +4.2%). The prices of oils and fats fell at a slower pace than in January (‑1.6% after ‑1.9%). Conversely, the prices of bread and cereals slowed down slightly (+0.7% after +0.8%), as did those of alcoholic beverages (+0.4% after +0.5%) and non-alcoholic beverages (+9.0% after +9.2%).

Year on year, service prices slowed for the fourth consecutive month: +1.6% in February 2026 after +1.7% in January.

The prices of rents, water and households refuse collection slowed down for the third consecutive month (+1.7% after +2.4%).

The prices of “other services” slowed down slightly over a year (+2.2% after +2.3%), as did those for social protection (child care services, retirement homes for elderly persons and residences for disabled persons, services to maintain people in their private homes; +2.2% after +2.3%), for insurance services (+4.1% after +4.9%) and for accommodation services (+1.1% after +2.0%). Conversely, prices for catering rose slightly year on year (+2.6% after +2.5%), as did those of services for the maintenance, repair and security of the dwelling (+2.2% after +2.1%) and recreational services (+1.2% after +1.1%).

Conversely, the prices of health services fell year on year at a slower pace than in January (‑0.1% after ‑0.3%).

Over a year, the decline in communication services prices slowed down (‑0.3% after ‑1.8%) due to the rebound over a year in prices of mobile communication services (+0.7% after ‑3.3%).

The prices of transport fell over a year less sharply than in January (‑0.4% after ‑0.6%). The acceleration in prices of transport by train (+8.7% after +4.0%) was not fully offset by the smaller downturn in those of transport by road (‑0.1% after +1.9%). Airfares prices fell over a year at a slightly faster rate than in January (‑6.5% after ‑6.3%).

Year on year, the prices of industrial food, cleaning and hygiene/beauty products sold in hyper and supermarkets rose by 1.1% in February, as they did in January. Those of industrial food sold in hyper and supermarkets accelerated slightly (+1.7% after +1.5% in January). And the prices of cleaning and hygiene/beauty products sold in hyper and supermarkets fell at a slightly faster pace than in the previous month (‑1.5% after ‑1.3%).

Compared to the provisional estimates published on 27 February 2026, CPI month-on-month and year-on-year changes has been revised downwards by 0.1 percentage points, like the HICP month-on-month change. The year-on-year change of HICP has been confirmed.