ΣΤΟ 6,9% ΣΤΗΝ ΕΥΡΩΖΩΝΗ
- 30 Apr 2023
- economy
Inflation in Greece was 5.4% in March 2023 (from 6.5% in February), while 6.9% is the corresponding rate at the Eurozone level, according to Eurostat's final data, published yesterday. confirming initial estimates.
Annual European Union inflation was 8.3% in March 2023, up from 9.9% in February.
The lowest annual rates were recorded in Luxembourg (2.9%), Spain (3.1%) and the Netherlands (4.5%). The highest annual rates were recorded in Hungary (25.6%), Latvia (17.2%) and the Czech Republic (16.5%).
Compared to February, annual inflation fell in twenty-five Member States and rose in two.
In March, the biggest contributor to the euro area's annual inflation rate came from food, alcohol and tobacco (+3.12 percentage points, p.p.), followed by services (+2.10 p.p.). .), non-energy industrial goods (+1.71 p.p.) and energy (-0.05 p.p.).
The forecasts of the Ministry of Finance
The forecasts of the Ministry of Finance prescribe a slowdown in inflation, that is, prices will increase at a reduced rate for the whole year and the general index will be formed at the end of 2023 around 4.5%. According to the winter forecasts of the European Commission (February 2023), the average annual inflation for the entire year 2023 is predicted at 4.5% (5.6% in the Eurozone) and for 2024 at 2.4% (2.5 % in the Eurozone).
The financial staff report that we will not see a reduction in prices, but that prices will increase at a reduced rate, which was officially supported by the Minister of Finance Christos Staikouras, which implies that the accuracy will continue in the coming years months.
The Parliamentary Budget Office also sounded the "bell" about inflation, which states the following: "Inflation shrinks the real income of a large part of households, especially the most vulnerable, resulting in an increase in social inequality and social tensions. The problem is mainly found in food prices which, despite the relative de-escalation of the general inflation index, show a high growth rate. In addition, the pressure on vulnerable households and businesses is intensified by the increase in interest rates that burdens their debt servicing."
