Inflation is now the dominant theme among consumers' money worries in Germany.

This is the result of a study commissioned by the Internet portal Aboalarm and which was available to the FAZ in advance.

1036 people were interviewed for the survey, the results were representative of the population in Germany in terms of age, gender and federal state.

Christian Siedenbiedel

Editor in Business.

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When asked what their biggest fears about money were in the past year, 25.4 percent of those surveyed answered that they were inflation and rising prices.

24.5 percent named fuel prices as the subject of greatest concern, 14.3 percent the high price for electricity in Germany.

Rents end up below

Significantly fewer people were most worried about rents, that was 7 percent.

At least until recently, rents were one of the most important topics of conversation in the big cities when it came to people's money worries.

5.3 percent of those surveyed named bank charges and negative interest rates as the subject of anger and concern.

Money worries in connection with the vacation depressed 8.3 percent.

3.9 percent were particularly annoyed about the slow internet at home and 3.1 percent named dead spots and poor cell phone reception as their biggest concern.

Anger about fuel and electricity prices

"Many everyday things have become more expensive in the past year," says the study.

"People feel that in their wallets and choose the rising prices to be the consumer anger of the year." According to the Federal Statistical Office, goods and services cost 3.1 percent more last year than in 2020 - that was the highest rate of inflation in almost 30 years.

"Inflation is being fueled by unchecked increases in fuel and energy costs," the authors of the study continue: "Consequently, consumers also frequently refer to these two factors as annoyances."

The Internet platform Aboalarm, which commissioned the study, offers consumers services related to cancellations, including the cancellation of electricity contracts or bank accounts.

Whenever the banks introduce new negative interest rates or higher account management fees, the company notices this in termination orders.