Euro area food inflation January 2026 reached 2.6% year-on-year, remaining above the overall inflation rate of 1.7%, according to official Eurostat data.

While headline inflation declined from 2.0% in December to 1.7% in January, grocery-related categories continued to exert upward pressure.

Key Food Inflation Data – January 2026

Category January 2026 December 2025
Food, alcohol & tobacco 2.6% 2.5%
Processed food 2.0% 2.1%
Unprocessed food 4.2% 3.5%

Food, alcohol & tobacco contributed +0.51 percentage points to overall euro area inflation in January. Unprocessed food alone contributed +0.22 percentage points, reflecting stronger movement in fresh categories.

Fresh Food Showing Renewed Acceleration

Unprocessed food inflation increased from 3.5% in December to 4.2% in January, marking the strongest annual rate within grocery categories.

This compares with:

  • Services inflation: 3.2%

  • Energy inflation: -4.0%

  • Headline HICP: 1.7%

Energy prices declined sharply, but food inflation remained positive and above the overall rate.

Food Inflation in the Wider EU

Across the European Union, annual inflation reached 2.0% in January 2026.

Although Eurostat’s country breakdown focuses on headline figures, several high-inflation markets remain relevant for grocery pricing:

  • Romania: 8.5%

  • Slovakia: 4.3%

  • Estonia: 3.8%

Lower-inflation markets include:

  • France: 0.4%

  • Denmark: 0.6%

  • Italy: 1.0%

Inflation fell in 23 Member States compared with December, remained stable in one and rose in three.

Grocery Inflation vs Headline Inflation

Despite overall cooling in the euro area:

  • Headline inflation: 1.7%

  • Food inflation: 2.6%

  • Unprocessed food: 4.2%

Food prices therefore remain above the macro average.

Energy continued to reduce overall inflation by -0.39 percentage points, partially offsetting upward contributions from food and services.

What Happens Next

The next flash estimate for February 2026 euro area inflation is scheduled for 3 March 2026. Attention will focus on whether unprocessed food inflation continues to rise or eases after January’s increase to 4.2%.

Eurostat will publish updated food and grocery inflation data as part of its monthly HICP release, providing further clarity for pricing dynamics across European supermarkets and the wider European fresh produce sector.

If food inflation remains above the headline rate again in February, it would confirm that grocery prices are moving differently from the broader energy-driven slowdown seen in the overall inflation figure.

Editor’s note: This report is based exclusively on official Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) data for January 2026, published by Eurostat. The analysis focuses solely on food, alcohol & tobacco, and unprocessed food categories relevant to supermarket pricing and FMCG supply chains in Europe.