The federal annual inflation rate, which stood at 2.6 percent in December, is likely to have decreased in January, probably in the range of 2.2 to 2.5 percent. This is suggested by initial numbers from the federal states, which were published on Friday morning.
According to these numbers, the annual rate of inflation in Baden-Württemberg decreased from 2.6 to 2.3 percent, in Lower Saxony from 2.6 to 2.5 percent and in the largest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, from 2.5 to 2.0 percent. In Bavaria, the inflation rate fell from 3.0 to 2.5 percent. However, the trend is not uniform: in Hesse, the rate of inflation increased from 2.4 to 2.5 percent.
The Federal Statistical Office will publish the preliminary estimate of the federal inflation rate later in the day, usually around 2 pm. The final numbers come out in the middle of the month, but there are usually only minor changes.