Clothing emerged as the primary driver of inflation, contributing the largest upward impact on both CPI and CPIH annual rates. In contrast, motor fuels provided the biggest downward pressure, partially offsetting overall price gains, ONS said in a press release.
Core inflation (excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco) edged up to 3.2 per cent in February from 3.1 per cent in January, indicating underlying price pressures remain firm. Within this, goods inflation stayed unchanged at 1.6 per cent, while services inflation eased slightly to 4.3 per cent from 4.4 per cent.
UK inflation held steady in February 2026, with CPI at 3 per cent YoY and a 0.4 per cent monthly rise, according to ONS.
Clothing drove inflation, while motor fuels offset gains.
Core inflation edged up to 3.2 per cent. Producer input prices rose 0.5 per cent, while output slowed to 1.7 per cent.
Import prices increased 0.3 per cent, indicating moderate external cost pressures.
Category-level data showed a notable rebound in clothing and footwear prices, which rose 0.9 per cent annually in February compared to no change in January. On a monthly basis, the segment recorded a 0.6 per cent increase, reversing a decline seen a year earlier.
Meanwhile, the producer input prices rose 0.5 per cent YoY, recovering from a revised 0.4 per cent decline in January, while output prices increased 1.7 per cent, though at a slower pace than the 2.5 per cent rise in the previous month. Monthly trends showed input costs climbing 0.8 per cent, even as factory gate prices fell by 0.5 per cent.
The Import Price Index (IPI) registered a modest 0.3 per cent annual increase, reflecting relatively contained imported inflation. Overall, the data suggests that while headline inflation remains stable, sector-specific pressures, particularly in clothing, continue to influence price dynamics across the UK economy.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
