The inflation rate measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in June 2026 was 3.2%, up from 2.4% in June 2025, INSTAT reported. This is the highest level since January 2024.

The main impact on this trend was provided by the prices of food, rent, and transport. According to INSTAT, the annual price increase in June was mainly influenced by the group “Food and non-alcoholic beverages” with +1.02 percentage points, followed by the group “Rent, water, electricity, gas and other fuels” with +0.96 percentage points.

Also, the prices of the “Transport” group increased by +0.21 percentage points, the prices of the “Furniture, household equipment and home maintenance” and “Restaurants and accommodation services” groups increased by +0.19 percentage points each, the prices of the “Alcoholic beverages and tobacco” group increased by +0.18 percentage points, etc.

Inflation has exceeded the Bank of Albania’s target of 3%. At its last meeting, the Supervisory Council of the Bank of Albania decided to keep the key interest rate, which is the bank’s instrument for controlling inflation, unchanged at 2.5%.

The Governor, Gent Sejko, said at the last meeting that the baseline scenario forecasts suggest that the increase in oil and energy prices in world markets will cause a slight and temporary increase in inflation above the target during 2026, as well as a marginal slowdown in the pace of economic growth in the country. Based on these premises, the effects of the shock are expected to be temporary and not leave long-term traces on the country's development trends.