France’s annual inflation rate accelerated to 2.4% in May 2026, from 2.2% in April, according to preliminary estimates. Although slightly below expectations of 2.5%, inflation rose for a fourth consecutive month, reaching its highest level since February 2024, mainly driven by higher energy prices (16.8% vs 14.3% in April), particularly gas, due to the war with Iran. Service prices also continued to rise (2% vs 1.8%) and food inflation remained unchanged from the previous month at 1.2%. Prices for manufactured goods declined 0.6%, the same as in April and tobacco increased at a steady rate of 3.2%. Compared to the previous month, the CPI edged up 0.1%, following a 1% jump in April, driven by gas prices, while petroleum product prices declined slightly. Meanwhile, the EU-harmonised annual inflation rate rose to 2.8% from 2.5%, while monthly CPI increased by 0.1% following a 1.2% rise in the previous month, with both figures coming in line with market expectations.