French consumers feeling the pinch at the petrol pump, the supermarket till and the service counter now have official confirmation: living costs rose sharply in September, with inflation climbing to its highest level in more than two years.
According to provisional price index data published by the national statistics agency Insee, consumer prices rose 3.0% year-on-year in September, up from 2.4% in August. It marks a marked acceleration at the close of the summer season and the fastest annual pace recorded since February 2024, when the French economy was still emerging from the inflation spiral triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Energy Prices Lead the Charge
Energy was the principal engine of the increase, with petroleum product and gas prices rising more steeply than in the previous month. The trend mirrors pressures seen across the continent, where the European Union is bracing for what officials warn could be a winter of “very high” energy costs.
Services and Food Add to the Pressure
The services sector offered little relief. Annual price growth edged higher, partly because the usual post-summer decline in accommodation and transport tariffs was less pronounced this year than in September 2025.
Food prices also contributed to the acceleration, with fresh produce recording a particularly sharp increase. Meanwhile, the year-on-year decline in manufactured goods slowed, and tobacco prices moved at the same pace as in August.
A European Phenomenon
France is far from alone. Spain’s inflation rate is expected to approach 5% year-on-year in September, also fuelled by energy costs, according to the country’s National Statistics Institute. The Banque de France nonetheless emphasised in its mid-September economic forecasts that the country should experience milder inflation than many of its European neighbours.
For French households, the latest figures underscore a cost-of-living squeeze that shows few signs of easing as autumn begins.
