Preliminary data from Ireland's Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed that annual inflation in Ireland reached 3.4% in August 2026, primarily due to energy price increases. ^[1] The Czech National Audit Office (NKÚ) reported in its 2025 state final account report that the birth rate in the Czech Republic fell to its lowest level since 1785. ^[2] Eurostat data shows that 21.3% of internet users in Romania had a paid subscription for video streaming services. ^[3] In 2025, 32.7% of internet users in the European Union paid for video streaming services such as movies, series, or sports. ^[4] Eurozone inflation accelerated to 3.3% in August from 2.9% in July, according to the latest Eurostat data. ^[5] Eurostat reported that annual inflation in the eurozone reached a record 3.3% in August 2026. ^[6] Eurozone inflation accelerated to 3.3% in August from 2.9% in July, driven almost entirely by rising energy costs including crude oil, natural gas, and refinery margins. ^[7] Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, published official figures on January 2026 indicating that 46.0 per cent of total consumer spending in the EU went towards basic necessities. ^[8] An unnamed Irish regulator's data showed that hundreds of thousands of Irish households had unpaid electricity and gas bills as of August 2026. ^[9] Ireland's parliament, in an emergency session, extended the reduction of tax on petrol and diesel until November 2026, with tax breaks of 27 cents per litre for petrol and 32 cents per litre for diesel. ^[10] A long-term population decline will negatively affect healthcare, education, and the overall economic growth of the state. ^[11] Economic institutions and the NKÚ agree that without adequate reforms in family policy and public finance, the state budget will be unable to meet its obligations to the aging population in the coming decades. ^[12]