Business Forum • 16 February, 2026 at 9:41 AM
Romania's annual inflation rate reached 9.6% in January 2026 compared to the same month in the previous year, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
This figure represents a slight cooling from the 9.7% recorded in December 2025.
The consumer price index for January 2026 stood at 100.86% relative to December 2025. Furthermore, the average price increase over the last 12 months (February 2025 – January 2026) compared to the preceding period was 7.7%.
Food prices rose by 7.86% year-on-year, with the cocoa and coffee category seeing a significant spike of 25.27%. Conversely, potatoes became 10.77% cheaper compared to January 2025, despite a 2.57% monthly increase.
Non-food goods increased by 9.99%, driven largely by a 59.33% surge in electricity costs over the year. Services recorded the highest jump at 11.59%, with rail transport costs rising by 24.40%.