UK CPI slows to 2.8% in April

The Office for National Statistics said on May 20 that Britain’s Consumer Prices Index rose 2.8% in the 12 months to April, down from 3.3% in March. The monthly CPI increase was 0.7%, compared with 1.2% in April 2025, according to the agency’s latest release. The deceleration gave households a softer headline number after several months of firmer readings, but the category breakdown showed price pressure did not ease evenly across the basket. Clothing and footwear was one of the clearest examples, with annual inflation in that category turning positive in April. ### Why did the headline rate fall in April? The ONS said lower household energy costs were a main driver of the slowdown in headline inflation. Retail Insight Network, citing the ONS release, said the April easing was driven largely by lower household energy costs even as retailers warned that food price pressure could re-emerge if global energy costs stayed high. (ons.gov.uk) April’s 2.8% reading was also below the 3.0% consensus cited by market coverage from Sharecast and other financial outlets. Trading Economics showed the same move, from 3.3% in March to 2.8% in April, in its updated UK inflation series. (retail-insight-network.com) ### What changed in clothing and footwear? ONS data showed clothing and footwear prices rose 0.7% in the 12 months to April 2026, compared with a 0.8% fall in the 12 months to March. On a monthly basis, prices in the category rose 0.4% in April, compared with a 1.1% decline a year earlier. (pilling.co.uk) Fibre2Fashion highlighted that reversal as a sign that apparel and footwear did not follow the broader cooling in the headline CPI rate. That matters because the April inflation report was not a uniform story of lower prices; some goods categories still posted firmer year-on-year gains even as the overall index slowed. (ons.gov.uk) ### Does 2.8% mean prices fell? The ONS figures show prices were still rising in April, just at a slower annual pace than in March. A 2.8% CPI reading means the overall basket of consumer goods and services cost 2.8% more than a year earlier, not that prices declined month to month across the economy. (fibre2fashion.com) The monthly data underline that point. CPI rose 0.7% in April 2026, which means prices increased during the month as well, though by less than the 1.2% monthly rise recorded in April 2025. ### What were retailers and food groups watching? Retail Insight Network reported that retailers viewed the April reading as short-term relief rather than a clean break from cost pressure. (ons.gov.uk) The report said industry groups warned that food prices could face renewed pressure if global energy costs remained elevated. (ons.gov.uk) The Food Foundation’s May 2026 tracker, citing ONS data, said food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation was 3.0% in the 12 months to April. That was lower than the previous month’s 3.7% on its cited measure, but still above the headline CPI rate. ### When is the next inflation update? (retail-insight-network.com) The ONS page for consumer price inflation identifies the April 2026 bulletin as the latest release and lists the next update in June. RateInflation, which republishes the official release schedule, says the next UK inflation update is due on June 17, 2026, when the ONS is expected to publish May data. (foodfoundation.org.uk) That next release will show whether April’s slowdown extends into May and whether categories such as clothing, footwear and food continue to diverge from the headline rate. (ons.gov.uk)