Romania's annual inflation rises to 6.61% in September as fuel and rents climb

Headline inflation turns up

Romania's annual consumer price inflation rose to 6.61% in September 2026 from 6.17% in August, according to data the National Institute of Statistics (INS) published on Tuesday, 13 October. The reading follows three months of deflation, and the INS said the annual rate has resumed its climb to 6.6%. Consumer prices in September stood at 100.77% of their August level, and year to date prices are up 5.4% on December 2025. The harmonised index (HICP) put the annual rate at 6.5%, and the average rate of change over the last 12 months was 9.2% on the national index and 8.4% on the HICP. Annual inflation had eased steadily from 10.9% in May to 6.2% in August, so the September uptick reverses that downward trend.

Services and fuel lead the increases

Services rose 11.12% year on year, the largest category increase, while non-food goods climbed 7.06% and food 3.0%. Rents were up 39.46%, diesel 37.61% and petrol 28.42%, the steepest rises in the lists the INS published. Electricity prices rose 1.35%, a figure the reporting ties to the base effect of ending a scheme that capped energy prices. Thermal energy rose 10.70%, knitwear 7%, books, newspapers and magazines 6.36%, detergents 6.25% and tobacco and cigarettes 5.72%. Hygiene products and cosmetics were 4.41% dearer, medicines 1.9%, and watches, video equipment and sporting goods 8.53%. Gas rose 4.63% over the period from September 2025 to September 2026. One report linked the September fuel price increases to a blockage caused by the US war in Iran.

Food prices

All food figures compare September 2026 with September 2025. Coffee was the largest food increase, up 13.78%, followed by eggs at 10.84% and cooking oil at 7.62%. Cow's milk rose 7.56%, beef 8.5%, and pork and poultry 3.34% each. Fresh fish rose 5.44%, canned fish 5.33%, and sugar products and honey 5.81%, even though sugar itself fell 1.67%. Alcoholic drinks also rose, with spirits up 5.01%, wine 4.15% and beer 4.9%. Bread rose 4.79%, cow's milk cheese (telemea) 3.75% and sheep's milk cheese 3%. Prices fell for butter (0.96%), flour (3.23%), cornmeal (3.42%), potatoes (3.64%) and fresh fruit (16.69%).

Ten-year comparison and central bank outlook

INS chief Tudorel Andrei placed the current increases in a longer frame.

Compared with 10 years ago, price increases are much more consistent.

He cited categories with large rises over that period, including electricity (more than 2.6 times), thermal energy (2.1 times), diesel and firewood (more than 2 times) and car insurance (nearly 2.9 times). Among food, lamb meat rose 2.5 times and chocolate and sweets 2.18 times. According to figures the National Bank of Romania (BNR) presented in August through governor Mugur Isărescu, the bank revised its year-end 2026 inflation forecast up to 6.1% from 5.5%. It expects inflation to fall to 3.4% at the end of 2027, against 2.9% in its earlier forecast.