Electricity topped August 2025 price increases in Romania at 65.73% year-over-year and 2.56% month-over-month. It was followed by fresh fruits, at 41.73% y-o-y, and personal care and cosmetic services, at19.27%, according to data released on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Month-over-month, fresh fruits became cheaper by 5.13% and cosmetic services became more expensive by 5.62%, both in August 2025.

In the category of food goods, there were also important price increases for cocoa and coffee, with an increase of 19.03% in August 2025 from August 2024 and edible oil – 11.07%. Yearly price decreases were recorded for potatoes – minus 9.36% and for sugar – minus 2.6%.

As for non-food goods, topping the price increases along with electricity were heat – plus 13.63% and books, newspapers and magazines – plus11.5%. The only price decrease was recorded for gas, by 0.64%.

In terms of services, in addition to personal care and cosmetics, significant price increases were also recorded for rail transport, which increased by 18.59% in the last year, and clothing and footwear repair services, with an increase of 14.91%. Lower prices were recorded in air transport, with a decrease of 7.25%, telephone services – minus 1.98% and postal and telecommunications services, at minus 0.72%.

Annual inflation rate in Romania rose to 9.9% in August, from 7.84% in July, as non-food goods prices rose by 10.48%, services by 9.85% and food goods by 8.92%, according to data published on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

The consumer price index in August 2025 compared with July 2025 was 102.10%. The inflation rate at the beginning of the year (August 2025 as against December 2024) was 8.1%. The annual inflation rate in August 2025 as against August 2024 was 9.9%. The average rate of change in consumer prices in the last 12 months (September 2024 – August 2025) compared with the previous 12 months (September 2023 – August 2024) was 5.7%.

The Governor of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), Mugur Isarescu, said in August that inflation will form a hump in September, when a peak of 9.6-9.7% will be recorded, expected to go down to just above 9% at the end of the year.

BNR has revised upwards its inflation forecast for the end of 2025 to 8.8%, probably above 9%, from 4.6% previously, and it anticipates that it will reach 3% at the end of 2026, as against 3.4% in its previous forecast.

On August 1, standard Value Added Tax (VAT) in Romania increased to 21%, from 19% previously.

AGERPRES