What is the inflation rate in Europe, and where is unemployment highest? Eurostat figures by country, September 2026
Euro area inflation rose to 3.8% in September 2026, with energy prices up 18.9% on a year earlier and core inflation at 2.5%. Türkiye has the highest inflation in Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina the highest unemployment. Every country with its Eurostat record.
Questions this record answers
- What is the euro area inflation rate in September 2026?
- 3.8% (annual HICP), after 3.2% in August 2026; energy 18.9%, core 2.5% (Eurostat).
- Which European country has the highest inflation in September 2026?
- Türkiye, with 29.7%; the lowest was Sweden with 1.0% (Eurostat HICP).
- What is the unemployment rate in the euro area?
- 6.4% in August 2026, seasonally adjusted (Eurostat); the lowest since 2000 was 6.2% in October 2024.
- Which European country has the highest youth unemployment?
- Romania, with 30.8% among under-25s in June 2026 (Eurostat, seasonally adjusted).
- What was the highest euro area inflation rate?
- 10.6% in October 2022, the highest annual HICP rate since 1997 (Eurostat).
Cite as: FACTANKER, https://factanker.com/record/europe-inflation-unemployment-by-country-2026
What this covers. Annual inflation (Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, ECOICOP version 2) and seasonally adjusted unemployment for every country reporting to Eurostat, the EU and the euro area, as published by Eurostat in October 2026. Key figures link to their records; every month and country is on the inflation and unemployment pages.
What was the euro area inflation rate in September 2026, and which price components rose fastest?
Consumer prices in the euro area were 3.8% higher than a year earlier, up from 2.2% in September 2025. Energy prices rose 18.9% against −0.4% a year before; electricity, gas and heat 6.9%. Core inflation, without energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, was 2.5%, services 3.2% and food 1.3%.
| Month | All items | Core | Energy | Electricity, gas, heat | Food, alcohol, tobacco | Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 3.8% | 2.5% | 18.9% | 6.9% | 1.3% | 3.2% |
| August 2026 | 3.2% | 2.4% | 14.3% | 4.9% | 1.1% | 3.0% |
| July 2026 | 2.9% | 2.5% | 10.3% | 3.8% | 1.2% | 3.3% |
| June 2026 | 2.8% | 2.4% | 8.5% | 3.2% | 1.5% | 3.2% |
| May 2026 | 3.2% | 2.6% | 10.8% | 1.3% | 1.9% | 3.5% |
| April 2026 | 3.0% | 2.2% | 10.8% | 0.3% | 2.4% | 3.0% |
| March 2026 | 2.6% | 2.3% | 5.1% | −2.4% | 2.4% | 3.2% |
| February 2026 | 1.9% | 2.4% | −3.1% | −2.9% | 2.5% | 3.3% |
| January 2026 | 1.7% | 2.2% | −4.0% | −3.9% | 2.6% | 3.2% |
| December 2025 | 2.0% | 2.3% | −1.9% | −1.9% | 2.5% | 3.4% |
| November 2025 | 2.1% | 2.4% | −0.5% | −1.4% | 2.4% | 3.5% |
| October 2025 | 2.1% | 2.4% | −0.9% | −0.9% | 2.5% | 3.4% |
| September 2025 | 2.2% | 2.4% | −0.4% | −0.6% | 3.0% | 3.2% |
What were the highest and lowest euro area inflation rates since 1997?
The highest annual rate was 10.6% in October 2022, the lowest −0.7% in July 2009. September 2026 is the highest reading since September 2023.
Which European countries had the highest and lowest inflation in September 2026?
Türkiye had the highest rate, 29.7%, followed by Kosovo* and Romania; Sweden had the lowest, 1.0%. Countries with an older latest month are marked.
| Country | Annual inflation | Month |
|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | 29.7% | September 2026 |
| Kosovo* | 7.8% | September 2026 |
| Romania | 6.5% | September 2026 |
| Lithuania | 6.1% | September 2026 |
| Bulgaria | 5.6% | September 2026 |
| Montenegro | 5.5% | September 2026 |
| Iceland | 5.4% | September 2026 |
| Cyprus | 5.2% | September 2026 |
| Luxembourg | 5.2% | September 2026 |
| Greece | 5.1% | September 2026 |
| Georgia | 5.1% | September 2026 |
| Spain | 5.0% | September 2026 |
| Belgium | 4.5% | September 2026 |
| Croatia | 4.3% | September 2026 |
| Italy | 4.2% | September 2026 |
| Serbia | 4.2% | September 2026 |
| Poland | 4.0% | September 2026 |
| Ireland | 3.8% | September 2026 |
| Slovenia | 3.7% | September 2026 |
| Austria | 3.6% | September 2026 |
| Portugal | 3.6% | September 2026 |
| North Macedonia | 3.5% | September 2026 |
| France | 3.4% | September 2026 |
| Norway | 3.4% | September 2026 |
| Germany | 3.3% | September 2026 |
| Estonia | 3.1% | September 2026 |
| Latvia | 3.0% | September 2026 |
| Netherlands | 3.0% | September 2026 |
| Slovakia | 3.0% | September 2026 |
| Albania | 2.7% | September 2026 |
| Finland | 2.7% | September 2026 |
| Malta | 2.4% | September 2026 |
| Czechia | 2.2% | September 2026 |
| Denmark | 2.1% | September 2026 |
| Hungary | 2.1% | September 2026 |
| Switzerland | 1.2% | September 2026 |
| Sweden | 1.0% | September 2026 |
Which European countries have the highest and lowest unemployment rates in 2026?
Euro area unemployment was 6.4% in August 2026, against a low of 6.2% in October 2024 and a high of 12.3% in February 2013. Among countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina reported the highest rate (11.4%, July 2026) and Czechia the lowest (3.2%).
| Country | Unemployment rate | Month |
|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 11.4% | July 2026 |
| Finland | 11.0% | September 2026 |
| North Macedonia | 11.0% | August 2026 |
| Spain | 10.0% | August 2026 |
| Sweden | 8.6% | September 2026 |
| France | 8.2% | August 2026 |
| Türkiye | 8.1% | July 2026 |
| Estonia | 8.0% | August 2026 |
| Greece | 7.4% | August 2026 |
| Luxembourg | 7.3% | August 2026 |
| Latvia | 7.3% | August 2026 |
| Austria | 6.7% | August 2026 |
| Romania | 6.4% | August 2026 |
| Italy | 6.2% | August 2026 |
| Lithuania | 6.1% | August 2026 |
| Belgium | 5.9% | August 2026 |
| Denmark | 5.9% | August 2026 |
| Iceland | 5.8% | August 2026 |
| Portugal | 5.7% | August 2026 |
| Slovakia | 5.7% | August 2026 |
| Switzerland | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Ireland | 5.0% | September 2026 |
| Hungary | 4.7% | August 2026 |
| Norway | 4.5% | August 2026 |
| Croatia | 4.3% | August 2026 |
| Cyprus | 4.1% | August 2026 |
| Germany | 4.0% | August 2026 |
| Netherlands | 4.0% | September 2026 |
| Bulgaria | 3.5% | August 2026 |
| Malta | 3.4% | August 2026 |
| Poland | 3.4% | August 2026 |
| Slovenia | 3.4% | August 2026 |
| Czechia | 3.2% | August 2026 |
Which European countries have the highest youth unemployment rates in 2026?
Among people under 25, Romania reported 30.8% (June 2026), Bosnia and Herzegovina 30.3% and Estonia 28.4%; the lowest rate was in Germany, 7.4%.
| Country | Youth unemployment (under 25) | Month |
|---|---|---|
| Romania | 30.8% | June 2026 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 30.3% | June 2026 |
| Estonia | 28.4% | August 2026 |
| North Macedonia | 28.1% | June 2026 |
| Finland | 25.2% | September 2026 |
| Spain | 22.7% | August 2026 |
| Sweden | 21.7% | September 2026 |
| Luxembourg | 20.8% | August 2026 |
| France | 20.6% | August 2026 |
| Italy | 20.3% | August 2026 |
| Portugal | 19.8% | August 2026 |
| Belgium | 19.1% | June 2026 |
| Slovakia | 17.4% | August 2026 |
| Croatia | 16.4% | June 2026 |
| Latvia | 16.0% | August 2026 |
What do the Eurostat inflation and unemployment figures for European countries in 2026 cover?
Inflation is the change of the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices on the same month a year earlier; since February 2026 Eurostat publishes it under the ECOICOP version 2 classification. Unemployment is seasonally adjusted and measured as a share of the labour force; some countries report with a delay of one to three months. The euro area is shown in its changing composition for inflation and as the 21 member countries from 2026 for unemployment. Sources and pages: source record Eurostat · inflation by country · unemployment by country · Germany electricity prices · ECB interest rates.