A report published by the National Institute of Statistics (Istat) specifies that the increase in consumer prices in that first month of 2026 was particularly evident in unprocessed foods, with a rise of 2.5 percentage points compared to December of the previous year.

Furthermore, the costs of processed foods increased by 2.2 percent, while the rise also affected housing-related services, as well as recreational, cultural, and personal care services, with increases of 4.4 and 3.0 percentage points, respectively.

In January, core inflation, which excludes energy and unprocessed food, was 1.8 percent, according to this analysis by Istat experts.

The study indicates that, in January 2026, goods prices fell by 0.2 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, while the cost of services increased year-on-year by 2.5 percentage points.

Therefore, based on these results, the gap between the goods and services sectors reached 2.7 percentage points, the source adds.

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