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HICP reaches 2.3% in January 2026, strong increase in prices for entertainment and food

2026-02-25 15:07:54, Ekonomi CNA

HICP reaches 2.3% in January 2026, strong increase in prices for entertainment

Inflation measured with the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) according to Eurostat's methodology reached 2.3% in January 2026, according to the publication of the Institute of Statistics.

Compared to December, consumer prices increased by 0.6%, signaling moderate pressure on living costs at the beginning of the year.

According to official data, the largest annual price increase was recorded in the group "Entertainment, sports and culture", with 9.8%, being the main contributor to the month's inflation. Also at higher than average levels are "Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services" with 3.7%, as well as "Alcoholic beverages and tobacco" and "Insurance and financial services", with 3.1% each.

An increase of 2.3% was recorded in “Food and non-alcoholic beverages”, while educational services increased by 2.2%. Higher prices were also recorded in furniture and home maintenance, as well as in restaurants and accommodation by 2.0% each, in health by 1.1%, in clothing and footwear by 0.9%, in rent and energy by 0.7% and in information and communication by 0.6%. Meanwhile, the only group that recorded a decrease was transport, with -0.7% in annual terms.

In monthly terms, the 0.6% increase was mainly driven by the rise in prices of insurance and financial services by 2.8%, followed by entertainment and culture by 1.6% and food by 1.3%. Price increases were also recorded in personal care by 0.9% and in alcoholic beverages and tobacco by 0.6%. In contrast, rents and energy recorded a monthly decrease of 0.7%, while clothing and footwear and restaurants and accommodation experienced smaller decreases.

INSTAT announces that starting from February 2026, the index will be calculated according to the new ECOICOP 2018 classification, in accordance with European Union regulations, which includes updating the weights, revising the consumer basket with 410 products and changing the base year to 2025=100.

The Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) measures the change in the level of retail prices of goods and services from the point of view of the structure of expenditures that consumers (domestic and foreign) intend for final consumption in the territory of Albania.

The HICP is used to monitor retail price movements in European countries, comparing inflation rates between European countries, and as the official inflation of the European Central Bank, ensuring price stability in the Economic and Monetary Union. /Monitor