Overview
- Istat’s preliminary reading released Friday shows headline consumer inflation slowed to 2.8% year‑on‑year in July with a 0.2% month‑on‑month increase.
- The July easing was driven mainly by smaller rises in unprocessed food and non‑regulated energy such as fuels and free‑market electricity, while regulated energy prices grew faster.
- Core inflation, which excludes energy and fresh food and is watched for persistent price pressure, remained steady at 1.6% year‑on‑year and the household shopping basket stayed at +1.3%.
- Istat’s harmonized index (IPCA) recorded a -1.0% monthly change for July because of summer sales and a +2.9% year‑on‑year rate, and the ‘inflation acquired’ for 2026 stands at 2.7% overall and 1.8% for core inflation.
- Consumer groups warned that fuel price spikes at the end of July occurred after Istat’s data collection cutoff (around July 21) so households may feel higher costs soon and August’s official rate could rise, while rising regulated energy could push up transport and service prices next.