[Epoch Times, February 3, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Zhu Lande reported) According to official statistics, the inflation rate, which had been rising for several months, finally stopped rising in January this year, and the rate of increase slowed down, but still maintained at a high of nearly 5%.
According to preliminary statistics released by the German Federal Statistical Office on January 31, the average consumer price in January this year increased by 4.9% over the same period last year, but the inflation rate was slightly lower than that in December last year. Inflation reached 5.3 percent at the end of last year, the highest since 1992.
Looking at inflation alone, price increases slowed in January, but still exceeded many economists’ expectations. Experts expect inflation at 4.3%.
The Federal Statistical Office believes that the supply bottleneck and the sharp rise in energy prices brought about by the current epidemic are one of the reasons for the high inflation rate. In January, energy prices were up 20.5% from a year earlier.
The ECB has been pursuing a long-term 2% inflation rate. Inflation in Germany started to exceed 2% in May last year, rising month by month, exceeding 5% in both November and December.
Significant increase in energy prices, especially in heating oil prices
According to statistics, many prices are rising, especially energy prices. The data published by the federal state statistical offices are more specific than those published by the federal statistical offices.
For example, data from Germany’s most populous federal state, North Rhine-Westphalia, show that heating oil (Heizöl) increased by 35.6% over the same period last year; electricity costs increased by 17.1%; diesel 26.1%; gasoline 21%.
Among food products, vegetable prices rose by 9.3%; dairy products by 6.4%; bread by 6.1%. Meat, fish and fruit have also become more expensive.
Only a few items fell, such as clothing, which fell 4.3 percent for women and 1.1 percent for men.
In Germany’s largest and economically powerful federal state, Bavaria, the increase in heating oil is also the largest. According to the state’s Bureau of Statistics, heating oil was up 51 percent from a year earlier; electricity was up 8.3 percent; and natural gas was up 27.1 percent.
Food has also generally become more expensive. For example, the price of vegetables has risen by 3.1%; fish and meat have risen by 3.5%; and fruits have decreased slightly by 0.8%.
In addition, the currency rates vary widely from federal to federal state. Hesse’s inflation rate rose to 5.6% from 5.4% last year; Lower Saxony fell from 5.4% to 4.7%; Saarland also fell from 5.4% to 4.7%.
Responsible editor: Yu Ping