The UK's annual core inflation rate remained at 2.6% in July 2026, unchanged for the third consecutive month. It stayed at its highest level since March and slightly above market expectations of 2.5%. The annual rate for CPI goods accelerated (2.2% vs 1.7% in June), while CPI services inflation eased (3.4% vs 3.6%). On a monthly basis, core consumer prices rose 0.2%, slowing from 0.3% increases in both June and May and marking the softest monthly reading since January.