Inflation in Croatia in February 3.8 percent, second highest in the Eurozone

Prices of goods and services for personal consumption measured by the consumer price index, according to the first estimate in February compared to February 2025, were on average higher by 3.8 percent, and compared to January, they were higher by 0.3 percent, the State Bureau of Statistics announced on Tuesday, while Eurostat data shows that the only inflation rate higher than Croatia’s in the Eurozone is that of Slovakia.

Inflation accelerated compared to January when it was 3.4 percent, and compared to December from 3.3 percent, returning to the level from November when it was, as in February, 3.8 percent.

Observed by the main components of the index, services increased by 7.7 percent year-on-year in February, energy by 4.3 percent, and food, beverages, and tobacco by 3.6 percent. At the same time, industrial non-food products without energy decreased by 0.1 percent.

On a monthly basis, that is, compared to January, energy increased by 1.4 percent, services by 0.5 percent, and food, beverages, and tobacco by 0.2 percent, while a price drop of 0.6 percent was estimated for industrial non-food products without energy.

Prices of goods and services for personal consumption, measured by the harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP), according to the first estimate in February 2026 compared to February 2025, were on average higher by 3.9 percent, while compared to January, they were higher by 0.3.

Final data on the consumer price index for February will be published on March 17.

Inflation in the Eurozone stable below 2 percent

Higher inflation than Croatia in the Eurozone measured by HICP in February was only Slovakia, with a rate of four percent, Eurostat data shows.

The annual inflation rate in the Eurozone, measured by the harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP), was 1.9 percent in February, calculated by statisticians.

In January, it was 1.7 percent, signaling a more pronounced slowdown compared to the end of 2025 when prices were higher by 2.0 percent than at the end of 2024, according to the updated calculation methodology. The ‘old’ calculation showed an inflation rate in December of 1.9 percent.

The European Central Bank defines stable price growth with an inflation rate of two percent.

Fresh food saw the highest price increase in February, rising by as much as 4.6 percent, statisticians calculated. The estimate shows a more pronounced increase than in January when its prices rose by 4.2 percent year-on-year.

Services increased by 3.4 percent in February, somewhat stronger than at the beginning of the year. Energy, on the other hand, was cheaper by 3.6 percent. In January, its prices were lower by 4.0 percent.

When excluding energy and fresh food, prices in the Eurozone in February were higher by 2.3 percent than twelve months ago. In January, core inflation was 2.2 percent.

Monthly comparisons, however, show a change in the direction of price movements and an increase of 0.7 percent, the strongest in almost two years. In January, they had decreased by 0.5 percent on a monthly basis.

Fresh food also saw the highest monthly increase, rising by 1.0 percent, but noticeably less than in January when its prices jumped by 1.7 percent. Energy increased by 0.7 percent on a monthly basis, approximately the same as in January.

When excluding energy and fresh food, prices in February on a monthly basis were higher by 0.7 percent, ‘negating’ the drop at the beginning of the year.

Service prices changed direction and were higher by 0.8 percent, signaling the strongest growth since July of last year, according to statisticians’ calculations. In January, they had decreased by 0.3 percent.