October inflation reaches 2.0% as food prices fall and services rise
Food prices fell by 1.1% over the year to October; excluding catering services, the decline was 4.1%. Butter became 14.0% cheaper, fresh domestic and tropical fruit 12.9%, pork 10.9%, cheese 10.8% and milk 8.9%. The largest listed reduction was for canned meat, down 27.3%. Meat-free preserved meals cost 8.7% less, pasta 7.6%, shop-bought coffee 7.0%, eggs 6.9% and sugar 5.9%. Other dairy products excluding cheese fell 5.6%, poultry 5.1%, chocolate and cocoa 5.0%, and fresh vegetables 0.9%.
Some food and catering prices increased over the same period. Potatoes rose 14.0% and edible oil 6.2%, while sweets and honey increased 2.7%. A coffee served in a catering establishment cost 6.3% more. Prepaid canteen meals rose 6.0%, school meals 5.7%, buffet products 5.3% and restaurant meals paid for individually 5.2%.
Services were 5.2% more expensive than a year earlier. Taxi fares increased 11.6%, postal charges 9.6%, personal-care services 9.0% and theatre admission 8.3%. Vehicle maintenance and repairs rose 7.7%, major household-appliance repairs 7.6%, health services 7.1% and dwelling maintenance and repairs 7.0%. Admission to other public entertainment increased 6.8%, while clothing and footwear repair and hire rose 6.6%. Foreign holidays cost 6.3% more, telephone and internet services 6.2%, and domestic holidays 5.1%.
Household electricity, gas and other fuels were 4.3% cheaper overall than in October 2025. Natural and manufactured gas fell 11.2%, although electricity rose 1.2%. Motor fuels increased 11.3% and pharmaceutical products 0.9%. Alcohol and tobacco together rose 3.2%, with tobacco alone up 4.2%. Durable consumer goods increased 1.4% overall. Jewellery rose 23.3%, kitchen and other furniture 5.1%, living-room and dining-room furniture 2.3%, and used passenger cars 1.1%. Television sets fell 3.9%, refrigerators and freezers 1.9%, motorcycles 1.5%, and vacuum cleaners and air-conditioning equipment 1.4%.
Between September and October, food prices increased 0.2%, both including and excluding catering. Potatoes and other bakery products each rose 1.9%, ice cream 1.7%, eggs 1.6%, canned fish 1.5% and sugar 1.4%. Butter and fresh vegetables each increased 1.2%. Chocolate and cocoa rose 0.6%, dairy products other than cheese 0.5%, and margarine and other meat preparations 0.3% each. Coffee served by catering establishments increased 0.2%.
Monthly food-price reductions included dried pulses, down 2.1%, and bacon and pork, each down 1.0%. Pasta fell 0.7%. Canned meat, spices, preserved fruit and coffee sold in shops each declined 0.6%. Salami, sausages, ham and edible oil became 0.5% cheaper.
Services increased 0.2% from September. Theatre admission rose 8.1%, other travel services 2.0% and education services 1.2%. Domestic holidays fell 3.4%, cinema admission 1.5%, foreign holidays 0.8% and other public-entertainment admission 0.4%. Household energy prices declined 0.3% overall: firewood dropped 3.9% and natural and manufactured gas 0.1%, while electricity was unchanged. Alcohol and tobacco prices also remained unchanged. Motor fuels rose 3.0%, and clothing and footwear increased 2.1%.
