2026 opens with a new series of price increases that will significantly weigh on the pockets of Italians: according to the survey by Federconsumatori, the increase in average annual spending will be 672 euros per family.
Despite the drop in electricity and gas tariffs (-12.7%), the high prices will hit key sectors: from fuel, with diesel undergoing the realignment of excise duties, up to car insurance (+8.8%) and foodstuffs (+4.8%). Smokers will also see costs rise as the new tax on all parcels from non-EU countries comes into force.
These increases are part of an economic context already marked by increases in recent years: over the course of 5 years, the purchasing power of families has eroded by 5,538 euros.
Increases in tolls, fuel and car liability
The most important increases for 2026 mainly concern the price of diesel, due to the realignment of excise duties on fuel. In fact, with the 2026 Budget Law, the consumption tax (i.e. excise duty) on petrol drops by 4.05 cents: this means that diesel has become more expensive than petrol.
In practice, the impact is not minimal: since the price increase is 4.05 cents per litre, the increase is €2 on full tanks, for a total of €105 more per year.
Higher costs also for motorway tolls, where however the increases are more limited – between 1.5% and 2% according to a survey by Altroconsumo, equal to around 10/20 cents – and above all not homogeneous throughout the Peninsula, given that some routes (especially in Central and Southern Italy) were not affected by the increases.
Finally, not to forget the increases in car insurance prices, for which increases of 8.8% are expected also due to the increase in the rate on driver accident policies.
What changes for tobacco and cigarettes
There will also be new increases for smokers: this time, however, the price increase plan will last three years and provides for a gradual increase in the cost of tobacco, with high-end brands that could reach 10 euros per pack by 2028.
At the moment, for the straditional cigarettes the increase will be approx 15 cents per packageto then mark an increase of 25 cents in 2027 and 40 cents in 2028. Similar increases have also come into force for shredded tobacco, cigars and the famous e-cigs: for inhalation liquids the increase will be around 1.50 euros per pack for those with nicotine and 1 euro for those without.
All increases planned for 2026: the table
The new blows will worsen a situation already complicated by the continuous increases recorded in recent years: according to data from Federconsumatori, in 5 years the purchasing power of families has eroded by as much as 5,538 euros. What is established, in fact, is a vicious circle: the increase in fuel costs implies an increase in transport costs, which in turn generates an increase in consumer goods, starting with basic necessities.
The association that protects consumers has thus drawn up a series of forecasts of all the price increases for 2026, from food which will mark a +4.8% to schools (+4.06% for canteens and books), transport (+2.83%) and the tariffs of healthcare services (+2.08%). As regards shipments, the increases are due to the introduction of the new tax on parcels with a value of less than 150 euros and coming from non-EU countries.
As can be seen in the table above, the only exception will be the electricity and gas tariffs, which recorded a drop of 12.7%: nevertheless, the reductions expected in the energy sector will not be able to compensate for the increase in all the other categories, leading the average annual expenditure of Italian families to increase by 672 euros.
