La inflación se dispara al 4,3% en agosto hasta máximos de tres años y medio por las gasolinas

Inflation surged to 4.3% in August, its highest level in three and a half years, driven by rising fuel prices amidst the ongoing gas crisis in Iran. The Consumer Prices Index (IPC), which measures inflation, increased by seven-tenths compared to the previous month and marked the highest rate since February 2023. The annual rate of IPC stood at 4.3%, with energy prices reflecting the persistent energy shock from the war in Iran and incorporating a base effect, as prices fell in August 2025, according to data confirmed by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

Monthly prices rose by 0.7%. Subsidized inflation, excluding energy and unprocessed food, declined by one-tenth to 2.9% year-over-year, while the IPC for food and non-alcoholic beverages remained stable at 2.3% compared to the previous year. The IPC Harmonized Index (IPCA), used for international statistics, recorded an annual rate of 4.6%, also seven-tenths above the previous month.

The consumer groups that most contributed to the general IPC rise were transportation, which increased by over three points to 9.5%, the highest since August 2022, due to a surge in fuel and lubricant prices for personal vehicles, which fell in August 2025. Liquid fuel and lubricant prices skyrocketed by 46% over the past year, and gasoline prices surged by more than 30%, pushing the general indicator higher.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages stood at 2.3%, representing a seven-tenths increase from the previous month, as cheaper prices for fruits and citrus products offset the rise in other categories. July also led the increases, with a 3.3% rise in transportation prices, followed by housing, which climbed 0.6% due to liquid fuel and, to a lesser extent, electricity and gas bills.

Inflation over the year rose in all communities and autonomous regions, with Cantabria leading at 5.1% and the Canary Islands and Melilla at the other end, where increases were lower at 3.8%. Galicia followed with a 4.8% year-over-year increase, and Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, and Madrid also reached 4.7%. The Basque Country and the Balearic Islands were above the national average, at 4.5% and 4.4%, respectively.

All other autonomous regions, except Ceuta, were below the national average, ranging from 2.9% in Ceuta to 4% in Murcia, Extremadura, and Navarra. Valencia, Andalusia, and Catalonia followed with 4%, while Aragon, Asturias, and La Rioja settled at 3.9%.