After a slight slowdown in December, inflation in Germany accelerated again at the beginning of this year, Deutsche Welle reported.

Consumer prices rose 8.7 percent in January compared to the same month in 2022, the German Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden reported Wednesday, Feb. 22, confirming the first estimates made at the beginning of the month.

The annual inflation rate was 8.1 percent in December, according to the revised figures, and 8.8 percent in November. The slight decline in December was due to the fact that this month the German government reimbursed monthly gas and heating charges from the budget to consumers as part of an emergency aid program.

For several months now, Germany has seen a significant increase in inflation due to soaring energy and food prices. For 2023, the national government forecasts inflation at 6.0 percent. In 2022, the rate was 7.9 percent, the highest since the founding of Germany. In 2021, it was 3.1 percent.