The UK's annual core inflation rate edged up to 2.6% in May 2026 from April's nearly five-year low of 2.5%, though it came in slightly below market expectations of 2.7%. Core goods inflation eased to 2.0% from 2.4%, while core services inflation accelerated to 3.7% from 3.2%. On a monthly basis, core consumer prices rose 0.3%, slowing from a 0.7% increase in April and falling short of forecasts of 0.4%. It also marked the softest monthly rise since January.