Istat, May inflation breaks through the 3% ceiling year-on-year, 0.4% month-on-month
The acceleration of inflation was mainly influenced by the acceleration of prices in Unregulated energy (from +9.6% to +12.6%), Regulated energy (from +5.3% to +5.8%), Transport-related services (from +0.6% to +1.8%) and Recreational, cultural and personal care services (from +2.6% to +3.0%)
Istat published the provisional estimate of consumer prices for May. Il cost of living accelerates sharply, and breaks through the 3% year-on-year ceiling. According to preliminary estimates, in May 2026 the national consumer price index for the entire community (NIC), gross of tobacco products, recorded a change of +0.4% on a monthly basis and +3.2% on an annual basis (from +2.7% in the previous month).
Unregulated energy commodities race
The acceleration of inflation was mainly influenced by the acceleration of prices for Non-regulated energy (from +9.6% to +12.6%), Regulated energy (from +5.3% to +5.8%), Transport-related services (from +0.6% to +1.8%) and Recreational, cultural and personal care services (from +2.6% to +3.0%).
In May 'core inflation', net of energy and fresh foodstuffs, increased its pace of growth (from +1.6% to +1.8%), as did inflation net of energy goods only (from +1.9% to +2.1%).
The prices of goods and services accelerated year-on-year by the same amount (from +3.1% to +3.5% and from +2.4% to +2.8%, respectively). As a result, the differential between the services and goods sectors remains unchanged from the previous month, at -0.7 percentage points.
The trend rate of change in the prices of Food, Household and Personal Care remained stable at +2.3%, while the rate of change in the prices of High Frequency Products rose slightly (from +4.2% to +4.5%).
