Can consumers breathe a sigh of relief?
It looks like inflation is at least not rising any further for now.
The official inflation rate for December will not be published until next week.
In a small FAZ survey, however, many economists anticipate a slight decrease in the (high) inflation rate from November - or at most stagnation - based on previous publications on price developments.
Then the inflation peak in the current round of inflation would have been reached in November at 5.2 percent.
This is initially positive, no one needs even higher rates.
The last time that motorists felt at the gas station was that gasoline became a little cheaper if you didn't fill up on the highway the day before Christmas.
Even those who order heating oil now pay a little less than they did in November.
On the other hand, the rise in the price of natural gas for consumers seems to have only just begun.
And one hears from many companies that the sharp rise in prices for raw materials and intermediate products is increasing the pressure to raise prices for end consumers as well.
There is still a lot to be expected for consumers.
If you look at the Bundesbank's forecast for 2022, which expects even more inflation for the year as a whole than the average for this year, then it is too early to give the all-clear.