Italy's annual inflation rate slipped to 3.0 percent in June from 3.2 percent the prior month, as a sharp decline in grocery and household essentials costs offset accelerating energy prices, national statistics institute Istat confirmed.
The so-called shopping basket index — tracking food, home care and personal care products — decelerated to a 1.3 percent gain from 1.9 percent in May. Core inflation, which strips out energy and fresh food, edged down to 1.6 percent. However, regulated energy prices surged to 9.2 percent annually from 5.6 percent, while unregulated energy costs climbed to 13.3 percent. Acquired inflation for 2026 held steady at 2.6 percent.
Inflation continued to weigh more heavily on lower-income households, with the harmonised index rising 3.7 percent in the second quarter for the lowest-spending families versus 2.6 percent for the highest. On the island of Sardinia, annual inflation in Cagliari held at 3.0 percent, driven by housing and transport costs.