Restaurant and takeaway prices rise 5.6% as food costs bite

Restaurant and takeaway prices rose 5.6% in September compared with a year earlier, as food overtook housing as the largest contributor to Malta’s annual retail price inflation.

Figures published by the National Statistics Office show overall inflation reached 2.9%, up from 2.6% in August and its highest level so far in 2026. Prices across the representative basket increased 0.6% during September.

The Food Index, which includes restaurants and takeaways, rose 3.4% annually and contributed 0.72 percentage points to the headline inflation rate. That contribution increased from 0.55 points in August.

Food excluding restaurant services and takeaways increased 2.5% over the year, showing a slower rise than eating out. Both categories also became more expensive during September: food excluding restaurants and takeaways rose 0.9%, while restaurant services and takeaways increased 0.8%.

Housing recorded the strongest annual price increase among the ten main groups, at 7.3%. Maintenance services rose 8.7%, maintenance materials increased 7.2%, and rent climbed 3.4%.

NSO identified higher takeaway prices, house maintenance services and land transport services as the main factors behind the three largest upward contributions: food, housing, and transport and communication.

Food and housing together contributed 1.30 percentage points, accounting for roughly 45% of annual inflation.

No main group made a downward contribution to September’s annual inflation rate. Water, electricity, gas and fuels remained unchanged.

Clothing and footwear prices increased 6.1% during the month, although their annual rise was 1.0%. Recreation and culture prices rose 2.0% monthly and 3.1% annually.

Transport and communication provided some monthly relief, falling 1.4% from August, while remaining 1.4% above September 2025.

Despite the increase in the annual headline rate, the 12-month moving average inflation rate remained unchanged at 2.6%.

September’s figures put annual inflation above April’s previous 2026 high of 2.8%, after readings ranging between 2.5% and 2.7% in May through August.