Bulgaria's annual inflation rose to 5.6% in September from 5% in August, Eurostat data published today show. That is the third-highest rate in the EU and the second-highest in the eurozone.

Prices in Bulgaria are rising 1.8 percentage points faster than the average in the eurozone and the EU as a whole, where inflation stands at 3.8% in both. Only Romania, at 6.5%, and Lithuania, at 6.1%, have higher rates in the EU.

Prices in Bulgaria were flat between August and September. A year earlier, in September 2025, annual inflation was 4%.

In 2026, it was 6% in April and 6.3% in May, then fell to 5.2% in June and 4.4% in July. Price rises picked up again in August and September.

Sweden has the lowest inflation, at 1%, followed by Hungary and Denmark at 2.1% each. Inflation is 3.3% in Germany, 3.4% in France, 4.2% in Italy, 5% in Spain and 5.1% in Greece.

Compared with August, the annual rate is higher in 23 EU countries, unchanged in three and lower in only one.

In the eurozone, annual inflation rose to 3.8% from 3.2% in August. A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 2.2%. Across the EU, inflation was 3.2% in August and 2.6% a year ago. From August to September, prices rose 0.6% in both the eurozone and the EU.

Energy adds the most to eurozone inflation, at 1.71 percentage points. That is how much of the total rise comes from this group. Energy costs 18.9% more than a year ago, after a rise of 14.3% in August. Services add 1.52 points, with prices up 3.2%, against 3% a month earlier.

Food, alcohol and tobacco cost 1.3% more, against 1.1% in August, and add 0.25 points. Unprocessed food is rising fastest, at 4%, while processed food, alcohol and tobacco cost 0.4% more. Industrial goods excluding energy add 0.29 points, and their prices are 1.1% higher, against 1.2% in August.

Excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, eurozone inflation is 2.5%, against 2.4% in August. It rose 0.2% over the month.