Croatia inflation rises in April, driven by energy costs

Consumer prices in Croatia continued to rise in April 2026, with inflation reaching 5.8% on an annual basis, according to a first estimate released by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday.

On a monthly basis, prices increased by 1.5% compared to March, indicating a noticeable acceleration in short-term price growth.

The latest data shows that rising energy costs remain the main driver of inflation. Prices in the energy category surged by 17.5% year-on-year, significantly outpacing other components.

Services also recorded a notable increase, rising by 8.2% annually, while food, beverages and tobacco prices were up by a more moderate 3.5%.

In contrast, prices of industrial non-food products excluding energy fell slightly, decreasing by 0.6% compared to April last year.

Looking at monthly movements, energy prices again saw the sharpest rise, increasing by 4.9% compared to March.

Industrial non-food products excluding energy rose by 1.7%, while services increased by 1.2%. Prices for food, beverages and tobacco remained broadly unchanged over the month.

According to the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP), which allows comparison across the euro area, Croatia recorded a 5.4% annual increase in April, with a monthly rise of 1.4%.

These figures broadly confirm the upward trend seen in the national consumer price index.

The figures released are preliminary estimates, based on approximately 80% to 90% of collected retail price data for the reference month. Remaining data will be processed and included in the final calculation.

The Croatian Bureau of Statistics is scheduled to publish final inflation data for April 2026 on 15 May, providing a more complete breakdown under the ECOICOP classification.