The inflation rate in Lower Saxony for October was recorded at 2.9%, calculated using data collected by volunteer price investigators across the region.

The Statistical Office of Lower Saxony has reported that the inflation rate for October stood at 2.9%. This figure is derived from prices meticulously recorded by volunteer price investigators in various stores across the region. These volunteers, such as Knut Schirrmeister, play a crucial role in gathering data by noting the prices of specific products month after month. Schirrmeister, who has been conducting price checks in Hannover for seven years, inputs the data directly into an app, which is then transmitted to the Statistical Office.

Across Lower Saxony, over 60 price investigators are actively involved in this process. Their collected data, combined with prices obtained directly from entities such as energy providers, is processed at the end of each month to calculate the inflation rate. This calculation is performed automatically using specialized software, and the resulting figure is forwarded to the Federal Statistical Office, which determines the inflation rate for Germany as a whole.

Price investigators come from diverse age groups, ranging from individuals in their twenties to those over seventy. According to Sebastian Fischer from the Statistical Office, 60% of these investigators have been contributing for over a decade. Many, like Schirrmeister, find the role to be a refreshing change from their regular professions. Schirrmeister, who works at a bank, expressed his enthusiasm for continuing in this role, highlighting its appeal as a meaningful and engaging activity.