Inflation rate in Greece for Jan. 2023 at 7.3%; sixth-best figure in EU

The inflation rate in Greece eased to 7.3 percent last month, January 2023, down from 7.6 percent – on an annual basis – from the previous month, December 2023, according to Eurostat data unveiled on Thursday.

The showing was the sixth-best in the EU for the specific month, albeit one ominous parameter in Greece’s inflation “calculus” was continuing price hikes for foods and beverages.

On an EU basis, the figure was 10 percent; 8.6 percent for the Euro-zone.

Excluding foodstuffs and fuel products, structural inflation slightly increased in January 2023, to 5.3 percent from 5.2 percent.

On the all-important «food basket» front, however, the inflation rate for Greece remained in double-digit «territory», at 15.4 percent last month, slightly down from the previous month. The same figure, for foodstuffs, in December 2022 reached a high of 15.5 percent; nearly 15 percent in November 2022; 14.8 percent in October 2022 and 13.5 percent in September 2022.

The lowest inflation rates in the EU were recorded by Luxembourg (5.8 percent), Spain (5.9 percent), as well as Cyprus and Malta (6.8 percent).

The worst performances were recorded by Hungary (26.2 percent), Latvia (21.4 percent) and the Czech Republic (19.1 percent).