Inflation rose by 1 percentage point between April and May, judged by Sweden's consumer price index with a fixed interest rate (CPIF). During the same period in 2021, the rate increased by just 0.2 percentage points.
The biggest driver of this month's rise has been increasing food prices, Carl Mårtensson, a statistician at Statistics Sweden, said in a press release.
Good news for vegans
Although the price of food and non-alcoholic drinks has increased overall by 2 percent – a higher than usual increase for this time of year – the main drivers of this were meat, which saw an increase of 4.4 percent, as well as other animal products such as milk, cheese and eggs, which increased by 3.5 percent.
So, if your food shop is taking up a larger portion of your pay check, try cutting down somewhat on meat and dairy and see if that will save you a few kronor.
Tomatoes, which became more expensive in the five months leading up to May, saw a drop of 28.3 percent last month, perhaps due to the fact that the Swedish tomato season is beginning, meaning there's a greater supply of locally-grown tomatoes on offer than in previous months.
Restaurants, hotels and recreation more expensive - but that's not a surprise
Those looking to get away for the summer or plan some fun activities over the holidays may be disappointed to hear that these categories have also increased over the last month.
The price of staying in a restaurant or hotel went up by an average of 1.7 percent between April and May, and the cost of recreational and cultural activities increased by 1.4 percent over the same period. Hotel prices specifically have increased by 28 percent over the last year.
This could be due to seasonal trends, however. According to Statistics Sweden, restaurant and hotel prices have increased in May every year since 1997, and recreational and cultural activities also usually increase in May, apart from last year, where they got cheaper.
Electricity up - but diesel down
Electricity prices also went up last month by 4.1 percent, along with clothing, which went up by 1.9 percent. These two categories have also seen a price increase in May every year for the last three years.
Electricity prices have seen a 33.6 percent increase over the past year.
However, diesel prices decreased by 3.9 percent over the same period, which will be welcome news for some car owners, who have seen a 41.8 percent increase in fuel prices over the past year.
Finally, the price of furniture and home furnishings such as carpets or rugs also increased in May by 2.6 percent.
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