UK inflation: The gadgets that jumped – and fell – in value in March

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Your help makes all of the distinction. Learn extra British households confronted a renewed squeeze on their budgets in March because the UK's annual inflation price climbed to three.3 per cent, primarily pushed by a pointy enhance in petrol, diesel, and air fares.

Whereas some aid was present in easing costs for clothes and sure electrical items, the general pattern pointed upwards.

Petrol prices, which noticed a 5.4 per cent year-on-year lower in February, dramatically reversed course to a 2.0 per cent rise in March.

Diesel skilled an much more vital swing, transferring from a 3.6 per cent annual fall to a 9.6 per cent enhance.

These surges mark petrol's highest price since Might 2024 and diesel's highest since February 2023, in accordance with the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics (ONS).

The escalation in gas costs is attributed to the Iran battle, which started on the finish of February, pushing up crude oil prices all through March.

Concurrently, air journey bills accelerated sharply, rising 14.5 per cent year-on-year in comparison with 3.8 per cent in February, doubtless influenced by the early timing of this 12 months's Easter holidays.

Inflation additionally picked up tempo in March throughout a variety of on a regular basis groceries, together with chocolate, espresso, tea, fruit juice, eggs and bread.

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Ice cream recorded the most important leap of any meals produce, up from an annual price of 1.7 per cent in February to six.3 per cent in March.

Serving to to offset these upwards pressures was a slowdown within the inflation for clothes.

The typical value of ladies’s garments was up 0.9 per cent year-on-year on in March, a smaller rise than the three.0 per cent recorded in February, whereas males’s garments had been up simply 0.2 per cent, decrease than the rise of 1.0 per cent the earlier month.

The worth of kids’s clothes was down 12 months on 12 months by a median of three.6 per cent in March, a bigger drop than the autumn of 0.5 per cent seen in February.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/04/22/11/2271048949.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/04/22/11/2271048949.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/04/22/11/2271048949.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Petrol has reached its highest rate since May 2024 and diesel its highest since February 2023" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> Petrol has reached its highest price since Might 2024 and diesel its highest since February 2023 (AFP/Getty) Elsewhere, the price of pc software program swung from optimistic inflation of two.7 per cent in February to a year-on-year fall of 13.8 per cent in March.

Fridges, freezers and irons additionally swung from optimistic to destructive charges of inflation, whereas value rises slowed for margarine, crisps, potatoes and cereal.

Under are some examples of how the Shopper Costs Index (CPI) inflation price has eased or accelerated.

Two figures are listed for every merchandise: the typical rise in value within the 12 months to February, adopted by the typical rise in value within the 12 months to March.

Examples the place annual inflation has accelerated, ranked by the dimensions of change:

Diesel: February down 3.6%, March up 9.6percentPassenger air journey: Feb up 3.8%, Mar up 14.5percentPetrol: Feb down 5.4%, Mar up 2.0percentEdible ices & ice cream: Feb up 1.7%, Mar up 6.3percentChocolate: Feb up 7.8%, Mar up 10.9percentCoffee: Feb up 6.3%, Mar up 9.0percentTea: Feb up 4.1%, Mar up 6.7percentFish: Feb up 2.0%, Mar up 4.5percentFruit & vegetable juices: Feb up 0.1%, Mar up 1.7percentRice: Feb up 0.1%, Mar up 1.6percentEggs: Feb up 3.7%, Mar up 4.6percentFruit: Feb up 2.5%, Mar up 3.1percentPasta & couscous: Feb up 3.9%, Mar up 4.4percentBread: Feb up 2.8%, Mar up 3.3% Examples the place annual inflation has eased:

Software program: February up 2.7%, March down 13.8percentFridges & freezers: Feb up 7.5%, Mar down 0.6percentIrons: Feb up 0.1%, Mar down 5.5percentCoffee machines & tea makers: Feb up 5.4%, Mar up 0.8percentPassenger prepare journey: Feb up 5.8%, Mar up 1.9percentChildren’s garments: Feb down 0.5%, Mar down 3.6percentMargarine/different vegetable fat: Feb up 5.2%, Mar up 3.1percentLadies’s garments: Feb up 3.0%, Mar up 0.9percentCrisps: Feb up 2.0%, Mar up 0.3percentMen’s garments: Feb up 1.0%, Mar up 0.2% [ad_2] Source link