In Poland, shoplifting crimes have increased by almost a third in 2022, according to a new report from the newspaper Rzeczpospolita on Thursday, which cited police data.

On an annual basis, the number of thefts rose by as much as 31.1%, to more than 32,000 cases. Out of 16 regions in the nation, only one, Lublin, did not report an increase in such crimes.

The president of the Polish Trade and Distribution Organization, Renata Juszkiewicz, said in an interview, that the increase in thefts was “a clear signal of trouble on the market,”  She went on to speculate that skyrocketing prices have left people unable to afford necessities, driving them to commit such acts, adding that the increases in operating costs from the thefts is a “huge challenge” for the affected stores.

According to the report, food was the most stolen item, followed by luxury items such as perfume and spirits, as well as small electronics.

In 2022 the Polish economy slowed as soaring inflation, caused by the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia, triggered a decline in consumer spending. According to official statistics, inflation again accelerated in the beginning of 2023, as consumer prices rose 17.2% in January, compared to a year prior. Economists predict inflation will continue to rise, as Poland is forecast to have among the highest rates in the entire EU this year.

Adam Glapinski, the governor of Poland’s central bank, said he thinks the country will not enter a recession, however he predicts the economy will endure temporary fluctuations in the first quarter of 2023.