The annual inflation rate in the euro zone reached 1.9% in December 2025, showing a drop compared to the 2.1% recorded in November, according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU (European Union) this Monday (19 January 2026). In the EU, the inflation rate reached 2.3% in the same period, slightly reducing compared to the 2.4% of the previous month.
Cyprus recorded the lowest inflation rate among member countries in December, at just 0.1%, followed by France (0.7%) and Italy (1.2%). At the other extreme, Romania (8.6%), Slovakia (4.1%) and Estonia (4.0%) had the highest rates.
A reduction in inflation was seen in 18 Member States, while 3 maintained stable rates and 6 had an increase. In December 2024, a year earlier, inflation in the euro zone was 2.4%, while in the EU the index was 2.7%.
The services sector was the main contributor to the euro zone’s annual inflation in December, at 1.54 percentage points. Next come food, alcohol and tobacco (0.49 pp) and non-energy industrial goods (0.09 pp). The energy sector had a negative contribution of 0.18 percentage points.
The preliminary estimate of inflation in the euro zone for December 2025, published on January 7, 2026, had been 2.0%. The next preliminary estimate, with data for January 2026, will be released on February 4, 2026.
