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Inflation in Spain jumped to 4.9% in September, six tenths of a point higher than in August, driven mainly by the rising cost of fuel and lubricants for vehicles, according to the flash estimate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) published on Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE).
INE explains that fuel prices rose again in September, in contrast with the fall recorded in the same month of 2025, which contributed to the sharp rebound in inflation.
The movement in package holidays also had an impact as their prices fell by less than what they did a year earlier.
The surge takes inflation to its highest level since February 2023, when it reached 6%. By category, energy products posted an increase of 21.6%, while unprocessed food went up by 5.8% and services by 3.9%.
Core inflation, which excludes unprocessed food and energy products, rose by two tenths and stood at 3.1%, according to the INE.
In September, consumer prices increased by 0.3% compared with August, the biggest rise in the monthly rate for this month since 2021. This is the eighth consecutive month with a positive monthly rate, following the 0.4% fall recorded in January.
The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), used for European comparisons, pushed its annual rate up by four tenths, to 5%, while the core inflation rate for this indicator stood at 3.2%.
The figure released on Tuesday is provisional. The INE will publish the final September reading on 14 October.