Montenegro’s annual inflation rate eased to 3.6% in May 2026, down from 3.8% in April. Price growth slowed in several key categories: food and non-alcoholic beverages (2% vs. 2.7% in April), housing and utilities (3% vs. 3.3%), restaurants and hotels (3.7% vs. 3.9%), personal care, social protection, and other goods and services (1.6% vs. 3.2%), as well as alcoholic beverages and tobacco (5.3% vs. 5.9%). Education prices were stable, while deflation in clothing and footwear moderated (-0.3% vs. -1.3%).
By contrast, inflation picked up in several sectors: transport (14.2% vs. 12.3%), information and communication (0.5% vs. 0.4%), and recreation, sports, and culture (2.3% vs. 2.2%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.4%, down from a 1.4% increase in April, marking the smallest monthly gain since February. Meanwhile, the annual harmonized inflation rate slowed to 3.4%, from 3.6% in the previous month.