France’s annual inflation picked up to 0.9% in February 2026 from 0.3% in January, but was revised lower from initial estimates of 1%. The rise reflected a moderation in energy price declines (-2.9% vs -7.6%), driven by a base effect on electricity (-3.6% after -14.6%) and smaller drops in petroleum products. Manufactured goods prices also fell slightly (-0.2% vs -1.2%). Meanwhile, food inflation accelerated to 2% from 1.9%, led by fresh products (+1.8%), fruits and vegetables (+19.8%), and meat (+3.4%). Tobacco rose 3.0% from 2.7%, while services slowed to 1.6% from 1.7%. Annual core inflation came at 0.9%. On a monthly basis, the CPI rose 0.6% after a 0.3% decline in January, driven by seasonal rebounds in transport (+4.1%) and manufactured goods (+1.4%), including the end of clothing and footwear sales (+5.9%). The EU-harmonised CPI rose 1.1% year-on-year, after 0.4% in January, while the monthly HICP increased 0.7% after a 0.4% decline.