Skip to content
← From Zero
← From Zero
Season 5 · The machine · 5.6

Two pushes, one price tag

ENERGY+41.5%FOOD AND DRINK+13.1%THINGS (CLOTHES, CARS…)+6.1%SERVICES+4.3%
What it is

In October 2022, prices in the euro area were 10.6% higher than a year before. Not every price rose the same: energy 41.5%, food 13.1%, services 4.3%.

reopeningFeb 202210.6%2021Oct 2022
Why it happened

Two pushes came one after the other. In 2021 the world reopened after the pandemic and supply chains were stretched. In February 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine, and gas and power prices jumped.

ENERGY4.4FOOD AND DRINK2.7SERVICES1.8THINGS1.6
The numbers

Energy is only about a tenth of what households buy. Yet of the 10.6%, energy alone made 4.4 points: more than food (2.7), services (1.8) or things (1.6).

slower≠cheaper
The trap

Inflation slowing down does not mean prices going back. It means they rise more slowly from their new, higher level. The 2022 jump stayed in the prices.

+20%20202024
Where you see it

From 2020 to 2024, prices in the euro area rose about 20% in all (Eurostat). A €50 shop in 2020 cost about €60 in 2024.

Episode done · saved to your path