Press release No.044 / 2010-02-09

Consumer prices in January 2010: +0.8% on January 2009

Inflation remaining below one percent

WIESBADEN – As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the consumer price index for Germany in January 2010 rose 0.8% on January 2009 (December 2009: +0.9% on December 2008). Hence the inflation rate, measured by the change of the consumer price index, remained just under one percent at the beginning of the year. Compared with December 2009, the consumer price index was down by 0.6%. The estimate for January 2010 was confirmed.

The inflation rate in January 2010 was characterised mainly by the upward trend of mineral oil product prices, which were by 13.0% above the level of January 2009 (motor fuels: +14.6%; liquid fuel: +7.0%). Not considering mineral oil prices, the year-on-year rate of price change would have been just +0.2% in January 2010.

Energy prices in January 2010 rose an overall 0.9% on January 2009. Apart from the marked price increase for mineral oil products, electricity prices were also up (+3.9%) on a year earlier. However, gas prices (−20.3%) and charges for central and remote heating (−11.8%) decreased markedly over the same period.

Food prices in January 2010 were altogether lower than a year earlier (−1.4%). Marked price decreases were recorded for vegetables (−7.0%; including potatoes: −16.9%) and many dairy products (sliced cheese: −7.9%; UHT milk: −4.4%; curd: −2.8%). Price increases were observed, however, especially for oils and fats (+4.9%; including butter: +19.8%) and for fish (+3.0%; including fish fingers: +5.4%; smoked fish: +4.7%; fresh fish: +2.7%).

Year-on-year price increases worth mentioning were observed for tobacco (+5.5%) as well as for newspapers and periodicals (+3.6%). Prices of consumer durables, however, remained altogether rather stable over the same period (−0.1%). Particularly consumer-friendly price trends in that sector were recorded for some consumer electronics products (for example, TV sets: −22.9%), information processing equipment (personal computers: −16.2%; notebooks: −13.0%) as well as for photographic and cinematographic equipment (digital cameras: −10.0%).

Price trends attracting attention were recorded for insurance services; among other things, motor vehicle insurances in January 2010 were markedly more expensive (+6.5%) than a year earlier.

Change in January 2010 on December 2009

The decrease in the overall index in January 2010 compared with December 2009 (−0.6%) is mainly due to seasonal factors: As is usual at the end of Christmas vacation, prices were down for package holidays (−18.8%), accommodation services (−14.7%) and air travels (−4.0%). Due to the starting winter sale, prices of clothing and footwear (−4.5%; of which clothing: −4.9% and footwear: −2.8%) in January 2010 were down on the previous month.

For energy (+2.2%) and food (+1.2%), prices rose again in January 2010 compared with December 2009. In the energy sector, prices were up on a month-on-month basis especially for mineral oil products (+4.5%; of which liquid fuel: +7.2% and motor fuels: +3.8%). The month-on-month price increase for food is especially due to marked price rises for vegetables (+12.5%; including cucumbers: +57.0%; leafy and stalky vegetables: +47.6%; tomatoes: +42.2%). The development of butter prices keeps attracting attention: The butter price increase observed since October 2009 continued; in January 2010 butter cost 2.1% more than a month earlier.

The harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) for Germany, which is calculated for European purposes, rose 0.8% in January 2010 on January 2009. Compared with December 2009, the index was down 0.6%. The HICP estimate of 27 January 2010 was thus slightly revised upwards.

Further information on consumer price statistics is provided by Fachserie 17, Reihe 7, which is available free of charge via the publications Service of the Federal Statistical Office. Detailed information and long time series on consumer price statistics can also be retrieved free of charge from the database Genesis Online.

>>> Brief methodological description

Consumer price index for Germany
Overall index / product groups ________ Overall index / subindex	Weighting	Index 2005 = 100	Change on the same period a year earlier	Change on the preceding month
	in per million	Index 2005 = 100	in per cent
Overall index in January 2010	1,000.00	107.1	0.8	–0.6
Food and non-alcoholic-beverages	103.55	111.3	–1.2	1.2
Food	89.99	111.7	–1.4	1.2
Milk, cheese and eggs	14.44	111.4	–2.7	–0.2
Oils and fats	2.55	123.6	4.9	1.0
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco	38.99	113.0	3.6	0.1
tobacco	22.43	116.7	5.5	0.0
Clothing and footwear	48.88	100.4	0.3	–4.5
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels	308.00	109.1	–0.3	0.6
Net rent exclusive of heating expenses	203.30	105.2	1.1	0.1
Household energy	59.82	122.3	–5.2	1.4
Electricity	24.61	128.5	3.9	1.3
Gas	12.85	117.8	–20.3	0.3
Liquid fuel	9.21	111.5	7.0	7.2
Furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house	55.87	104.3	1.2	–0.2
Health	40.27	104.3	0.9	0.0
Transport	131.90	110.8	4.5	1.1
Motor fuels	35.37	112.1	14.6	3.8
Supergrade petrol	19.29	112.1	16.8	3.5
Diesel oil	8.15	110.1	7.4	4.5
Communication	31.00	88.8	–1.9	–0.2
Recreation and culture	115.68	99.4	0.1	–5.1
Package holidays	25.93	100.5	–1.3	–18.8
Education	7.40	131.2	–1.5	–0.2
Restaurants and hotels	43.99	108.5	1.5	–4.2
Miscellaneous goods and services	74.47	108.1	1.3	–0.3
Overall index
Excluding liquid fuel and motor fuels	955.42	106.9	0.2	–0.8
Excluding household energy	940.18	106.1	1.1	–0.7
Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels)	904.81	105.9	0.7	–0.9
Goods, total	493.00	108.0	0.5	0.2
Non-durable consumer goods	305.11	113.3	0.8	1.2
Consumer goods with a medium-term life	95.24	101.8	0.4	–2.6
Durable consumer goods	92.65	97.3	–0.1	–0.1
Services	507.00	106.2	1.0	–1.4

Consumer price index for Germany
Overall index ________ Year / Month		Index 2005 = 100	Change on the same period a year earlier	Change on the preceding month
Overall index ________ Year / Month		Index 2005 = 100	in per cent
2008 Annual average		106,6	2,6	–
2009 Annual average		107,0	0,4	–
2009	January	106.3	0.9	–0.5
	February	106.9	1.0	0.6
	March	106.8	0.5	–0.1
	April	106.8	0.7	0.0
	May	106.7	0.0	–0.1
	June	107.1	0.1	0.4
	July	107.1	–0.5	0.0
	August	107.3	0.0	0.2
	September	106.9	–0.3	–0.4
	October	107.0	0.0	0.1
	November	106.9	0.4	–0.1
	December	107.8	0.9	0.8
2010	January	107.1	0.8	–0.6

For further information please call our service telephone number,
tel: +49 611 75 4777,

E-mail: verbraucherpreisindex@destatis.de

For more details please refer to the German version.

Contact:
tel: (+49-611)75-3444
fax: (+49-611)75-3976
presse@destatis.de
www.destatis.de

Service hours:
Mon - Tue: 8am - 5pm
Fri: 8am - 3pm
CET / CEST

Postal address:
65180 Wiesbaden
Germany

Inhalt maximieren (Accesskey 3)