10. 03. 2026 Consumer price indices - inflation - February 2026

Month-on-month comparison

Consumer prices in February decreased by 0.1%, month-on-month. In 'food and non-alcoholic beverages', especially prices of cereal products were lower by 1.9%, non-alcoholic beverages by 2.8%, margarine by 16.9%, UHT semi-skimmed milk by 7.6%, pork by 2.2%, cheese by 1.5% and chocolate and cocoa by 2.2%. In 'alcoholic beverages, tobacco', prices of wine decreased by 6.2%, beer by 3.5% and spirits and liquors by 3.1%. Month-on-month overall price level increase in February came mainly from prices in 'recreation, sport and culture', where especially prices of package holidays were higher by 4.8%. Price rise in 'transport' was mainly influenced by higher prices of fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment by 1.2%. In food, prices of vegetables were higher by 2.3% (of which prices of potatoes increased by 13.8%) and prices of eggs by 4.7%.

Prices of goods in total decreased by 0.5%, while prices of services went up by 0.5%.

Year-on-year comparison

“Year-on-year consumer price development in February was again significantly influenced by prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages. They slowed down their year-on-year growth for fourth consecutive month and were higher by 0.4% in comparison with the last year. Nevertheless, significant price growth was recorded for some surveyed items in comparison with the last February. E.g. prices of beef increased almost by 22% and prices of eggs by 16.5%,” noted Pavla Sediva, head of Consumer Price Statistics Unit of CZSO.

Consumer prices increased by 1.4% in February, which was 0.2 percentage points down on January, year-on-year. This slowdown¹⁾ of the year-on-year price growth came mainly from prices in 'food and non-alcoholic beverages' and in 'alcoholic beverages, tobacco'. In 'food and non-alcoholic beverages' prices of UHT semi-skimmed milk decreased by 20.4% in February (decrease by 4.7% in January), and prices of oils and fats by 21.3% (decrease by 16.8% in January). Prices of cereal products slowed down their growth to 1.5% (increase by 3.2% in January) and non-alcoholic beverages to 1.7% (increase by 3.8% in January). In 'alcoholic beverages, tobacco', prices of tobacco products slowed down their year-on-year price growth to 5.7% (increase by 6.3% in January), beer to 1.0% (increase by 3.3% in January) and wine to 0.9% (increase by 1.4% in January).

The biggest influence on the growth of the year-on-year price level in February came again from prices in 'alcoholic beverages, tobacco' (increase by 4.0%). Next in order of influence were prices in 'restaurants and accommodation services', where prices of food and beverage serving services were higher by 4.2% and accommodation services by 6.8%. In 'housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels', beside owner occupied housing costs, prices of actual rentals²⁾ were higher by 6.1%, materials and services for the maintenance and repairs of the dwelling by 3.4%, water supply by 3.9%, sewage collection by 3.8% and heat and hot water by 2.2%. Prices of electricity decreased by 11.9% and natural gas by 7.2%, year-on-year. In 'personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services', especially prices of social protection were higher by 9.7%. Price development in 'recreation, sport and culture' was influenced mainly by higher prices of recreational services by 5.0%. On the other hand, year-on-year overall price level decrease in February came mainly from prices in 'transport', where prices of fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment decreased by 8.4%.

Owner occupied housing costs (imputed rentals) increased by 5.1%, year-on-year (increase by 5.1% also in January), mainly due to growth of prices of new real estates. The overall consumer price index excluding owner occupied housing costs was 101.0%, year-on-year. (More information: Methodological note.)

Prices of goods in total decreased by 0.7%, while prices of services went up by 4.5%.

Level of consumer price base index with base period the average of 2025 = 100, was 100.8% in February (100.9% in January).

Inflation rate, i.e. the increase in the average consumer price index in the twelve months to February 2026 compared with the average CPI in the previous twelve months, amounted to 2.2% (2.4% in January).

Harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) ³⁾

According to preliminary calculations, the HICP in Czechia in February decreased by 0.1%, month-on-month and increased by 0.9% (1.2% in January), year-on-year. According to flash estimates of Eurostat, the MUICP (Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices) in February 2026 amounted to 1.9%, year-on-year (1.7% in January), 2.0% in Germany. It was the highest in Slovakia (4.0%) in February and the lowest in Cyprus (0.9%).

According to preliminary data of Eurostat, the year-on-year change in the average harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) in the EU27 member states amounted to 2.0% in January (0.3 percentage point down on December). In January, the rise in prices was the highest in Romania (8.5%) and the lowest in France (0.4%).

(More information on the Eurostat’s web pages: HICP.)

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Information on changes in price statistics from January 2026 onward here