BERLIN, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Germany's inflation rate eased to 2.8 percent in October from 3.3 percent in September, official data confirmed Wednesday, as the government's temporary fuel tax cuts helped slow price increases, but economists warned inflationary pressures could intensify again in the coming months.
The October reading, unchanged from a preliminary estimate released late last month, brought inflation back below 3 percent after reaching its highest level in nearly three years in September, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
Energy prices rose 12.2 percent year-on-year in October, slowing from a 14.9-percent surge in September.
"The persistently high rate of inflation continued to be primarily driven by the development of energy prices," said Destatis President Ruth Brand, adding that the fuel tax cuts had likely helped dampen energy prices.
The German government reintroduced temporary fuel tax cuts on Oct. 1, helping lower petrol and diesel prices by around 17 euro cents (0.19 U.S. dollars) per liter. The measure will expire at the end of December.
A similar measure, implemented in May and June, temporarily lowered Germany's inflation rate by around 0.2 percentage points in each month, according to the German central bank's October monthly report.
Despite the slowdown, economists expect the relief from fuel tax cuts to be short-lived, citing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which could cause energy price hikes that gradually feed through to other goods and services.
Ulrike Kastens, senior economist at German asset manager DWS Group, warned that higher gas prices would place additional pressure on consumers in the coming months, even as the fuel tax cuts remain in effect until the end of the year. She also expected food prices to rise significantly following the summer heatwave, particularly for seasonal products.
According to the latest joint forecast by Germany's leading economic research institutes, the country's inflation rate is expected to reach 2.8 percent in 2026 and 3.2 percent in 2027, compared with 2.2 percent in 2025. ■