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Lower energy prices take air out of Danish inflation

Inflation continued to fall in Denmark in January with lower energy prices a primary factor.

Lower energy prices take air out of Danish inflation
Inflation has eased in recent months but food prices remain well above 2020 levels, seen in this file photo. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

A latest inflation index which takes into account EU consumer prices was released by national agency Statistics Denmark on Tuesday.

The index shows a fall in the inflation level from 9.6 percent in December to 8.4 percent in January.

Although inflation is falling, it remains at a high level seen in a historical context.

Meanwhile, the measure of “core inflation” or kerneinflation continues to be a warning light for Danish consumers.

Core inflation is the inflation of prices excluding food and energy prices and is sometimes used by economists as a measure of how entrenched inflation has become in other areas of the economy. It fell marginally from 7.4 percent in December to 7.3 percent in January.

Because core inflation is steady while the overall, energy-driven inflation rate has started declining, end prices for consumers could remain high in the shorter term, even if energy bills are lower than they were in 2022.

READ ALSO: Why prices in Denmark could still increase despite falling inflation

“High core inflation shows that a broad cross section of Danish consumption is affected by price increases,” private economist with Arbejdernes Landsbank, Brian Friis Helmer, told news wire Ritzau in a comment.

Overall inflation for the EU was 10 percent in January according to the latest data, which confirm preliminary figures released earlier this month.

The EU figure is also slightly down month-on-month.

Inflation should continue to fall in coming months, Helmer predicted.

“Electricity and gas prices have fallen markedly since the crazy heights of late last summer and Danes’ budgets are therefore not as badly hit on that front,” he said.

“At the same time, global food and raw material prices and transport costs have fallen, and that can reduce the price burden on Danes,” he said.

“Inflation is a measure of the prices today compared to a year ago. Therefore, the steep price increases from last year will begin to fall away from inflation calculations as we progress through the year,” he also said.

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ECONOMY

Better-than-expected Danish economy frees up 11 billion kroner for budget

Denmark's finance minister said on Friday that recent good news for the country's economy had freed up an extra 11 billion kroner (€1.5bn) for government spending.

Better-than-expected Danish economy frees up 11 billion kroner for budget

“The long and the short of it is that the Danish economy is rock solid,” Nicolai Wammen told Denmark’s Ritzau newswire after the announcement. “But we also live in a world of great uncertainty: it is important to remember that only a year and a half ago we had the highest inflation in 40 years.” 

Wammen said that better-than-expected employment figures had pushed the ministry to adjust its estimate of its spending leeway under Denmark fiscal rules by 11.25 billion kroner between 2024 and 2030. As a result, he said, he planned to earmark an addition 4.1 billion kroner for public spending in 2025. 

“Over 3 million are in employment, and the progress in employment has been particularly high in the private sector,” he said in a press release. “At the same time, unemployment is low.” 

He pointed to the increase in the number of labour migrants coming to Denmark as a result of the government’s policies, adding that more reforms would be needed in future to increase the labour supply due to a demographic situation which meant the country was about to see a larger number of people retiring than coming into the system. 

“With the reforms that have been implemented and are underway, the government has increased the labor supply by 29,000 full-time workers in 2030. The government aims to increase the labor supply by 45,000 full-time workers,” he said. 

The increased spending leeway, he said, would make it easier for the government to take Denmark through some of the major changes it needs to make in the coming years. 

“This gives us an even stronger foundation for handling the challenges we face. At the same time, we must also continue to be aware that we still need more hands and minds in both the public and private sectors if we are to ensure growth, welfare, green transition and our security in Denmark, among other things,” he said. 

Wammen told the public broadcaster TV2 that much of the extra money would be used to increase funding to municipalities and the regional governments who run Denmark’s healthcare system. 

But also warned that it was important that the government does not shift to a more expansive economic policy that breathed life back into inflation.

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