The annual inflation rate in the euro area remained stable at 2.2% in April 2025, unchanged from March, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. This steadiness, following a decline from 2.4% a year earlier, may offer a favourable environment for the interior design and furniture sectors, where pricing consistency is critical for production planning, investment, and consumer confidence.
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Across the broader European Union, annual inflation decreased slightly to 2.4%, down from 2.5% in March 2025, and from 2.6% in April 2024.
Inflation rates across Member States varied widely. The lowest annual rates were recorded in France (0.9%), Cyprus (1.4%), and Denmark (1.5%), while the highest rates were observed in Romania (4.9%), Estonia (4.4%), and Hungary (4.2%). Compared to March, annual inflation fell in 13 Member States, remained unchanged in three, and rose in 11.
Key to this month's figures is the continued dominance of services in driving inflation. In April, services contributed +1.80 percentage points to the overall inflation rate, followed by food, alcohol & tobacco (+0.57 pp) and non-energy industrial goods (+0.15 pp). In contrast, energy prices had a negative contribution (-0.35 pp).
For the interiors and furnishings industry, this breakdown is significant. The non-energy industrial goods sector, which includes furniture and household items, maintained a stable monthly inflation of 0.6%, matching previous months and suggesting ongoing price stability in the design and manufacturing pipeline.
In core inflation metrics that strip out the more volatile components like energy and unprocessed food, the euro area saw a modest uptick. The annual inflation rate for all-items excluding energy rose to 2.8%, with non-energy industrial goods remaining consistent at 0.6%, indicating that durable goods, including interior and lifestyle products, are largely shielded from recent price volatility.
The monthly inflation rate in April 2025 was 0.6% for the euro area and 0.5% for the EU overall.
With inflation figures levelling out and non-energy goods stable, conditions appear favourable for continued investment in the interior and furniture markets, particularly those emphasising quality, longevity, and sustainable materials, attributes increasingly valued by European consumers.
Eurostat will release the next update on 18 June 2025.
More information:
Eurostat
www.ec.europa.eu