$GBIRYY - U.K Inflation (February/2026)

GBIRYY 3%
February/2026
source: Office for National Statistics


- The annual inflation rate in the UK steadied at 3% in February 2026, the same as in January and in line with expectations.

Clothing made the largest upward contribution, with prices rising 0.9%, the first increase in four months.
Prices normally rise in February as the spring product ranges start to enter the shops.

Prices also rose at a faster pace for housing and utilities (4.6% vs 4.5%).
On the other hand, inflation slowed for transport (2.4% vs 2.7%), with the average price of petrol falling by 1.6 pence per litre between January and February 2026, compared with a rise of 2.0 pence per litre last year.
A slowdown was also seen for food (3.3% vs 3.6%), recreation and culture (2.5% vs 2.6%), and restaurants and hotels (4% vs 4.1%). Services inflation also edged down to 4.3% from 4.4%.

Compared to the previous month, the CPI rose 0.4%, recovering from a 0.5% fall in January and matching forecasts.
Annual core inflation unexpectedly edged up to 3.2% from 3.1%.