Preliminary September data put Spain's inflation at 4.9%, its highest level since February 2023. Energy products rose 21.6%, with fuel and lubricant prices for personal vehicles among the basic causes.
Package holidays added to the pressure, too. Higher fuel and travel costs fed directly into transport and tourism spending.
The annual rate rose six-tenths from August. Spain's National Statistics Institute, known as INE, released the advance consumer price index on Tuesday, September 29. Consumer prices also rose 0.3% from August.
Core inflation reached 3.1%, its highest level in roughly two and a half years. Price pressure in September so extended beyond volatile energy categories.
Energy products posted the sharpest increase among the special groups tracked in the preliminary data, rising 21.6% amid an energy shock. Fuel and lubricant costs affect private vehicle use directly and raise the cost of everyday journeys. INE does not separate the contribution of each fuel type, but lists vehicle fuels and lubricants as a basic cause of the acceleration.
Unprocessed food prices rose 5.8%, while services became 3.9% more expensive. September's price pressure spread across goods and services instead of remaining within one narrow category.
Package holidays gave the monthly figure another push. Travel costs joined fuel at the centre of September's increase, linking it to transport and tourism spending.
The 4.9% rate is the highest in the available series since February 2023, when inflation reached 6%. September has returned to a level not seen for more than two years, though it remains below that earlier peak.
EFE and Euronews independently reported the same comparison.
Households and drivers will feel the change most clearly through fuel-linked spending. Energy products rose 21.6%, and package holidays also became more expensive. Higher food and service prices added further pressure.
The harmonised rate reached 5.0%, up from 4.6% in August, while the harmonised index rose 0.6% month on month. That measure matters for euro-area monetary policy. Spain's faster inflation may support a more cautious approach to easing.
These figures remain preliminary. INE is due to publish the final September release on October 14, and the figures may undergo limited revisions.
