Inflation gives no respite to families and the Spanish economy maintains growth

BarcelonaThe prices of goods and services usually consumed by families have continued to rise this month of October in the State, according to advance data from the Consumer Price Index (CPI, the indicator that measures the cost of living for families) published this Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), despite a moderation in fuel prices. In addition, the state statistical body has also published preliminary data on the evolution of the Spanish economy between July and September, which maintained its growth rate and continues to expand above the European average.

Thus, the cost of living increased by 0.6% compared to September, a growth rate that doubles that recorded between last month and August. This has placed prices 4.9% above October 2025, the same year-on-year difference as last month.

In relation to a year, the INE highlights in a statement that fuel for vehicles, which this year had been the main element of CPI growth due to its sharp price increase following the war in Iran, have pushed the inflation rate downwards, as have food and clothing. Conversely, the price of natural gas, liquid fuels, and tourist packages have been the elements that have increased the cost of living the most.

The data became known with less than two weeks to go before the general strike to protest against the rising cost of housing and low wages: in fact, one of the reasons for the call is to make clear "the indignation of the majority of the country for an economic model that passes on to prices and the consumption of basic goods the corporate margins to defray the cost increases of the energy crisis caused by the infamy of the wars".

Unlike what is usual when macroeconomic data such as the CPI or GDP are released, on this occasion the Ministry of Economy has not published any reaction to the data, in part also due to the executive's management of the railway accident in Toledo.

GDP maintains growth

Apart from the inflation data, this Friday the INE also released a first preview of how the Spanish economy evolved in the third quarter of this year. Thus, Spain's gross domestic product (GDP, the indicator that measures the size of an economy) expanded by 0.6% between July and September, with an increase of 2.7% compared to the same period in 2025. These figures are similar to those of the previous quarter, when the Spanish GDP increased by 0.7% with respect to the first three months of the year and 2.6% year-on-year.

The INE will release more detailed GDP data, while on November 13 it will expand on the October CPI data, also broken down by autonomous communities.