United Kingdom: Core Inflation Rate Below Estimates.

The UK’s annual core inflation rate eased to 3.1% in March 2026, slightly less than both market expectations and February’s 3.2% reading. Despite the softer headline, underlying price pressures gained traction, amid acceleration in both core services inflation (4.5% vs 4.3% in February) and goods inflation (2.1% vs 1.6%). On a monthly basis, core consumer prices rose 0.4%, falling short of forecasts of 0.5% and slowing from February’s 0.6% gain. Still, it marked a second consecutive monthly gain.