RTFri, 17 Mar 2023 05:40 UTC
© Getty Images / Ingus Kruklitis / EyeEm
Annual inflation in Poland accelerated in February to the highest level since 1996, data released by the national statistics service GUS showed on Wednesday.
Consumer prices rose 18.4% year-on-year in February, up from the 16.6% recorded in the previous month.
Economists are predicting that the latest surge will mark the peak of the current cycle, but Polish consumers say they are struggling to pay household bills and buy basic groceries, with price growth at its steepest in more than a quarter of a century.The figures show that the February reading surpassed the previous high of 17.9% recorded in October 2022, with food prices, transport and energy costs rising fastest last month.Prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages saw the most significant annual increase in February of up to 27%, compared to 26.6% in January.
Housing-related rates jumped 22.7% while the cost of heating fuel, water and central heating increased, the report said.The Polish economy slowed in 2022 amid soaring inflation and a plunge in consumer spending brought on by the conflict in neighboring Ukraine and the impact of sanctions on Russia.
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from RT:
The number of shoplifting crimes in Poland increased by almost a third in 2022, newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported on Thursday, citing police data.
Statistics showed that the number of thefts increased by as much as 31.1% on an annual basis, to over 32,000 cases. Out of 16 Polish regions, only Lublin reportedly did not record an increase in such crimes.
The rise in theft is "a clear signal of trouble on the market," the president of the Polish Trade and Distribution Organization Renata Juszkiewicz was quoted as saying. Soaring prices have been pushing people to commit such crimes, she suggested, adding that it is "a huge challenge" for stores while prompting further increases in operating costs.
The report indicated that food was stolen most of all, followed by luxury items such as expensive perfumes and spirits, as well as small electronics.
The Polish economy slowed in 2022 amid soaring inflation and a plunge in consumer spending brought on by the conflict in neighboring Ukraine and the impact of sanctions on Russia. Official statistics show that inflation accelerated in the beginning of 2023, with consumer prices jumping 17.2% in January from a year ago. Economists are forecasting that inflation will continue to rise, with Poland projected to have one of the EU's highest rates this year.
And no one linked the increase in theft with the cut in government funding for Ukrainians. After all, it's Poland, so Poles must steal! :-)))
You are really a very nice editor! :-))
"Economists are forecasting that inflation will continue to rise, with Poland projected to have one of the EU's highest rates this year."
No, economists have been predicting for a long time that this month is the peak of inflation, after which it is supposed to start to fall, but it's a small difference, right? ;-)