The United Kingdom’s consumer price index (CPI) rose to 3.6% in June, up from 3.4% in May, according to new data released by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The increase was largely driven by rising costs in food and transport, particularly motor fuel prices.
On a year-on-year basis, the CPI climbed 0.3% in June 2025, compared to just 0.1% in June 2024, reflecting a sharper pace of price increases across key sectors.
The ONS reported that the price of food and non-alcoholic drinks surged by 4.5% in the year to June, marking the highest annual rate recorded since February 2024.
This trend indicates a continuing pressure on household spending, especially in essential items.
The broader Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) rose by 4.1% in the 12 months to June, slightly up from 4.0% in May.
The core CPIH, which excludes volatile items like energy, food, alcohol, and tobacco, increased marginally from 4.2% to 4.3%.
Similarly, core CPI rose to 3.7% in the year to June, up from 3.5% in May.
The CPIH goods annual rate rose from 2.0% to 2.4%, while the CPIH services rate edged down from 5.3% to 5.2%.
In contrast, the CPI services annual rate remained steady at 4.7%.
According to the ONS, transport costs, especially motor fuels, made the largest upward contribution to the monthly change in both CPIH and CPI rates.
Meanwhile, housing and household services, particularly owner occupiers’ housing costs, provided a partial downward offset in CPIH.
Commenting on the report, Richard Heys, Acting Chief Economist at the ONS, noted: “Inflation ticked up in June, driven mainly by motor fuel prices, which fell only slightly compared with a much larger decrease at this time last year.”
He added that food price inflation has now risen for the third consecutive month, reaching its highest annual rate since February 2024.