The annual inflation rate in Austria rose to 3.2% in March 2026, slightly higher than preliminary estimates of 3.1% and up from 2.2% in the previous month. This marked the highest reading since December 2025, driven largely by a sharp 6.4% rise (vs 0.9% in February) in transport costs. Prices also increased for housing and utilities (2.7% vs 1.5%), while inflation remained steady for education services (at 5.2%) and restaurants and accommodations (at 5%). In contrast, inflation softened for alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics (2.8% vs 4.8%) and personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods (3.9% vs 4.1%), while it declined for clothing and footwear (-0.5% vs 0.8%) and information and communications (-2.7% vs -3.3%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices went up by 1.2% in March, exceeding flash estimates of a 1.1% rise and February's 0.8% gain. . Meanwhile, the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) rose 3.1% annually and 1.1% monthly.