The UK's annual core inflation rate held steady at 2.6% in June 2026, matching May's reading and remaining at its highest level since March. The latest figure came in slightly above market expectations of 2.5%, despite easing price pressures in both core goods (1.7% vs. 2.0% in May) and core services (3.6% vs. 3.7%). On a monthly basis, core consumer prices rose 0.3%, unchanged from May, staying at the softest monthly increase since January.