In December, the government relief for private households in natural gas and district heating costs still had a dampening effect on inflation. This one-off effect ceased to exist at the beginning of the year.
Erfurt (dpa/th) - Inflation in Thuringia remains at a comparatively high level. In the first month of the year, consumer prices were 8.4 percent higher than in January 2022, as the State Statistical Office announced on Wednesday. According to revised data, the annual inflation rate was 8.2 percent in December, 9.2 percent in November and 9.4 percent in October. Energy and food continue to drive prices. Without the increase recorded here, the rate would have been 5.6 percent in January.
In December, the one-off assumption of the down payment for gas and district heating customers by the state had dampened the rise in consumer prices. This effect disappeared in January, meaning that household energy prices rose by 22.4 percent compared with December. In the case of district heating, in addition to renewed price increases, this represented an increase of 73.1 percent compared to December.
Year-on-year, energy prices rose 16.9 percent. For district heating, the statisticians recorded an increase of 54.2 percent. Heating oil increased in price by 46.2 percent. Consumers had to spend 40.8 percent more on solid fuels such as coal or wood. Natural gas rose in price by 18.8 percent and fuel by 5.8 percent.
Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices increased by 20.9 percent compared to January 2022. The price increases for staple foods such as dairy products and eggs (41.5 percent), edible oils and fats (38 percent) and bread and cereal products (24.2 percent) were particularly sharp. Eating in restaurants and overnight stays in hotels and other accommodation establishments rose by 11.7 percent.
Nationwide, consumer prices rose by 8.7 percent in January compared to the same month last year, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
