Housing, water, electricity & gas

The biggest category in most household budgets. In France, the 'bouclier tarifaire' (tariff shield) capped energy price rises in 2022–2023, keeping this lower than in neighbouring countries. Electricity prices are regulated by the CRE (Commission de régulation de l'énergie).

Year-on-year change2025-12

-1.3%

Down from -0.9% in 2025-11
2.0 pp below headline inflation

Prices in this category fell 1.3% over the past year. What cost €100 last year now costs €99.

Trend vs Headline Inflation

Housing, water, electricity & gas compared to headline CPI. When the solid line is above the dashed line, this category is rising faster than average.

Data source:Eurostat|2021-01 — 2025-12
Housing, water, electricity & gas
Headline CPI

How to read this chart

Each point shows how much more (or less) this category costs compared to the same month a year earlier. When the line is at 5%, a basket that cost €100 last year now costs €105. The dashed line shows headline inflation — it helps you see whether this category is rising faster or slower than average.