Italy’s annual inflation rate rose to 1.7% in March 2026 from 1.5% in February, confirming the preliminary estimate. This marks the highest reading since July last year, driven mainly by energy, with regulated energy easing less sharply (-1.6% vs -11.6% in February) and unregulated energy also declining more slowly (-2.0% vs -6.2%). Inflation for unprocessed food also accelerated to 4.7% from 3.7% previously. Meanwhile, services inflation slowed notably (2.8% vs 3.6%), including recreational, cultural, and personal care (3.0% vs 4.9%) and transport services (2.2% vs 2.9%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.5%, slowing from a 0.7% increase in February. Core inflation, which excludes energy and fresh food, eased to 1.9% from 2.4%, while inflation excluding energy alone slowed to 2.1% from 2.5%. The HICP increased 1.6% year-on-year and 1.7% month-on-month.