Communication: Continuous high inflation allows the Germans to change consumption habits -seemed to the third of the European economy

Xinhua News Agency, Berlin, August 19th: Continuously inflation allows the Germans to change consumption habits -see through the European economy third

Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhu Sheng

"I have decided not to go to the boutique supermarket anymore! This price, I still go to cheap supermarkets to buy discount products." Ms. Hannah Vibake, a salesman who lives in Berlin, Germany, told reporters. Although her financial conditions are good, they have to change their consumption habits to the agenda.

Recently, German energy and food prices have risen higher and higher. Many families have begun to cut off unnecessary expenditures, postpone buying large -scale goods, or more discount store shopping. Data show that in the face of rising prices, 44%of Germans said they did not have enough economic reserves to maintain their existing living standards.

Vibc said that the current price rises, she can only take care of them in all aspects. In the past, I often drove to work. Now the price of oil is high, the parking is expensive, and the cost of refueling is twice as high as before, so I often take a bus or ride a bicycle to get off work.

"We used to buy bread and yogurt from the supermarket, but the price rose too fast. Now we have to bake at home, so that we can save a little bit." Said Tania Sidel, a 31 -year -old housewife Tania Sidel.

Although Sidel's husband was the head of a department in a medium -sized enterprise, her income was not bad, but she also decided to go out to work again because she felt that money was getting more and more impatient.

According to data from the German Federal Bureau of Statistics, the inflation rate of Germany soared to 7.9%in May this year, a new high since 1990 in a row; At a high level. In the past three months, energy prices have increased by more than 30%year -on -year.

The Federal Bureau of Statistics believes that rising energy prices is the main cause of high inflation, and the supply of bottlenecks and new crown epidemics has also pushed up the level of inflation.

High inflation is constantly cracking down on the consumer emotions of the German people. Reports released by market research institutions Jefukai recently showed that in July and August of this year, German consumer confidences have a record low for two consecutive months.

Gefukai expert Roll Bilkler pointed out that in addition to the interruption of supply chain, the Ukrainian crisis and energy and food prices soaring, people are also worried that the natural gas supply in winter has sufficient, which has led consumers to fall into the bottom of the valley.

In order to reduce the impact of high inflation on the lives of the people, the German government launched short -term subsidy measures such as bus monthly tickets. However, these measures to suppress inflation are limited. With the opening of natural gas additional taxes, Germany's inflation rate may soar again.

Earlier this month, the German government agreed to levy an additional tax on natural gas consumers from October to help natural gas suppliers respond to rising natural gas prices. Robert Habeck, Vice Premier and Minister of Economic and Climate Protection, said taxation is a difficult decision, but it is necessary to ensure energy supply.

German government officials have previously called on people to save the use of natural gas on multiple occasions, such as shortening bathing time and reducing the temperature of the swimming pool. Habeck even said that in order to save energy, he reduced his bath time from no more than 5 minutes to one or two minutes.

Jorge Kremo, chief economist of commercial banks in Germany, said that the collection of natural gas additional taxes means that the cost of people's lives has increased significantly. In extreme cases, factors such as natural gas surcharge may push the inflation rate of Germany about 3 percentage points. In other words, the inflation rate in Germany in the fourth quarter may reach double digits.

[Editor in charge: Wang Yan]

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