Inflation rises to 6.1% in Catalonia in December, a new record-high

Inflation levels continued to rise in Catalonia in December, shattering a previous record and reaching 6.1%.

This, according to figures released by Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE), is a 0.8% rise on the month prior and is the highest figure since 2002, when the INE first started analyzing regional data. 

Catalonia's record-high inflation rates are largely attributed to the soaring cost of utilities – that is to say, water, gas, and especially electricity – which are up 20% compared to the 14.7% seen in November. 

The cost of electricity has been making headlines since summer 2021 as an overreliance on polluting energy sources coupled with low natural gas reserves has forced prices to skyrocket. 

Transport, meanwhile, is at 10.8%, while food and non-alcoholic beverages are at 4.7%. Prices in all other sectors, except for communications, are also up.

For Spain as a whole, at 6.5% in December inflation was higher than in Catalonia after having risen by 1% since November, but was still 0.2% lower than the same time a year ago. 

Spain has been recording inflation since 1992, and while December 2021 figures may be lower than in December 2020, annually they are the highest since May of the first year records were kept.