02/07/26 (Agence Europe) – The annual inflation rate in the euro area is estimated at 2.8% in June 2026, compared with 3.2% in May, according to a flash estimate published by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) on Wednesday 1 July. The highest rates were estimated in Lithuania (5.5%), Bulgaria (5.3%) and Croatia (4.2%). The lowest is expected to be recorded in Malta (1.9%), Estonia and France (2.0% each), and Germany (2.4%). According to Eurostat, inflation is expected to be high in Spain (3.6%) and Italy (3.1%). As regards the main components of inflation in the euro area, energy is expected to post the highest annual rate in June (8.7%, compared with 10.8% in May), followed by services (3.2%, compared with 3.5%), food, alcohol and tobacco (1.6%, compared with 1.9%), and then non-energy industrial goods (0.9%, stable compared with May). (BD)