By Chrysostomos Tsoufis

Against the estimates of even Christine Lagarde for even a short-term reduction of , and Eurostat’s final data for January confirmed the continuation of the de-escalation of inflation in the Eurozone. From 2.9 in December to 2.8% in the first month of 2024 and in Greece from 3.7% to 3.2% respectively. Yes, yes our country recorded on a monthly basis the 4the more slowdown in inflation between member states.

But the championship in food accuracy continues. As in December, Greece had 2The higher food inflation at 8.3% behind Malta’s 11. At the same time the Community average was at 5.3%

Only Malta had higher food inflation across the Eurozone 10.2% versus 8.9%.

The processing of data on the products that make up Eurostat’s food index shows that in November Greece in 16 out of 22, i.e. more than 2 out of 3 categories, the price increases were higher than the European average

In meat, Greece had the fifth largest increase in the Eurozone behind Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Luxembourg. In all 5 categories of meat, the increases in Greece are much higher than the Community average.

Greece Eurozone

Beef 5.4% 2.8%

Pork 10.8% 5.6%

Lamb-Goat 7.7% 4.6%

Fish-Seafood 7.7% 3.8%

Poultry 1.4% -0.7%

In beef, where the difference is almost double, our country has the 5th largest price increase behind Lithuania, Croatia, Bulgaria and Estonia. 5the and in the amnoeriphi category

4th most expensive in pork behind Croatia, Spain and Romania.

The …championship also continues in poultry where prices have started to decrease in 14 countries. But in Greece the revaluations continue with Greece at 6the position.

In seafood and fish, Greece is behind only Malta, Romania and Austria.

In the category of oils and fats, the differences are infuriating with Greece being more than 3.5 times higher than the Eurozone with inflation even “stinging” 6 units. In this category, inflation has quadrupled since July in our country.

Greece Eurozone

Oils-Fats 40.3% 12.8%

Butter -0.6% -7.2%

Olive oil 67.4% 50.7%

Other oils -18.7% -19.7%

In olive oil, 67.4% is atrocious, but it is not the highest since on Portuguese shelves it was found at an unimaginable 69.1%. However, the trend is upward and this is extremely worrying. In the rest of the oils (sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, etc.) the prices fall at about the same rate as in the rest of Europe. Butter prices have finally started to fall, but they are doing so at the lowest speed in the Eurozone.

In fruit, inflation accelerated significantly to 14%, which is the second highest rate in the Eurozone behind Cyprus’s 15.3%. The data show that until May the increases in our country were below the Community average. A trend that changed in June and has remained unchanged since then. Inflation is galloping in vegetables as well, with increasing trends, with the country at 5the position among member states.

Greece Eurozone

Fruit 14% 9.1%

Vegetables 14% 10.4%

Out of nowhere we also have an explosion of inflation in beer, from 5.8% to 8.9% with the country now again in the 5the place behind Romania, Poland, Austria, Latvia. A significant increase in coffee inflation as well

Greece Eurozone

Beer 8.9% 7.9%

Coffee 5% 2.3%

Wine completes the list of products that hurt Greek wallets the most, but we are nowhere near the first places.

Greece Eurozone

Wine 6.3% 3.9%

On the contrary, the situation in the Dairy-Eggs category has improved quite a bit.

Even in the cheeses we are once again at 5the position, however inflation has halved.

In yogurt, Greece entered a trajectory of decreasing inflation, while the average is increasing, and in eggs, Greece is slowing down faster than the euro zone:

Greece Eurozone

Cheese 4.5% 0.5%

Egg 1.5% 2%

Yogurt -1.5% 1.5%

In addition, in products such as bread, potatoes and juices, the price increases were smaller in Greece than in the Eurozone.