Inflation & Prices

German Inflation Jumps Less Than Expected in Boost for ECB

  • Consumer prices rose 3.8% from year ago in December; est. 3.9%
  • Surge largely due to one-time energy aid payments in late 2022

Shoppers in Nuremberg, Germany.

Photographer: Ben Kilb/Bloomberg
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German inflation quickened less than anticipated in December — reflecting a more muted boost from energy that may help keep wage demands at bay and allow a faster return to the European Central Bank’s 2% target.

Consumer prices rose by an annual 3.8%, the statistics office said Thursday. That’s less than the 3.9% predicted by economists, though up from 2.3% in November. The reading for 2023 as a whole was 6%.