For many people, the inflation rate is a number that is often difficult to grasp.

The Federal Statistical Office assumes around ten percent for September, in August it was 7.9 percent.

But what exactly does this number mean in everyday life?

At the latest when the cashier suddenly mentions a significantly higher amount than usual when doing the weekly shopping or when the bill for electricity and gas arrives, it is clear: the high prices hit our wallets and savings accounts and get on our nerves enormously.

Sarah Huemer

Editor in the "Value" department of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper.

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But it doesn't hit everyone the same way.

After all, the inflation rate is based on an average basket of goods, from which each individual's consumption deviates.

Most of the income usually comes from housing.

Food, energy and fuel usually make up a smaller proportion.

However, prices in these categories have risen so sharply in recent months that they are the main contributors to individual inflation.

The two economists Silke Tober and Sebastian Dullien from the Institute for Macroeconomics and Business Cycle Research (IMK) of the Hans Böckler Foundation deal with how high the price increases are for different households.

Every month they publish an inflation monitor and show in detail how high the inflation rates are for different types of people such as families or single people, most recently for the inflation data from August 2022. For the FAS, the institute also calculated how much the expenditure in euros compares have increased compared to the previous year.

The numbers provide a helpful guideline for how much more expensive everyday life has become for each individual.

The focus is on the food, fuel and household energy categories.

A possible cap on the prices of electricity and gas, as recently announced by the federal government, is not included here.

living alone

In Germany, people living alone typically earn between 1,500 and 2,000 euros net (for experts: measured as a median household).

Singles have to spend 91 euros more per month on food, fuel and energy compared to August 2021. This amount breaks down as follows: Spending on food has increased by 31 euros.

For fuel it is 9 euros more - although it should be noted that the tank discount was still valid in August.

For September, this burden could have increased.

Exact data on this will only be available in a few weeks.

The highest level of additional expenditure is in the case of energy.

Here, single people pay 51 euros more per month.

The analysis shows that those who have oil heating in particular have to dig much deeper into their pockets and now pay 62 euros more for the entire house energy.

For those with gas heating, which affects around half of all households in Germany, the increase is slightly lower at 42 euros.

Because they still benefit from contracts with lower prices from the previous year.