Press Import prices in 2016: –3.1% on 2015

Considerable import price increase compared with December 2015

Press release No. 032 of 27 January 2017

WIESBADEN – The index of import prices fell by 3.1% on an annual average in 2016 compared with 2015 (2015: –2.6% compared with 2014),as reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). This was the highest price decline since 2009 (–8.5% compared with 2008). 

In December the index of import prices increased by 3.5% compared with the corresponding month of the preceding year. This was the highest price increase since February 2012 (+3.5% compared with February 2011). In November and in October 2016 the annual rates of change were 0.3% and –0.6%, respectively. From November to December 2016 the index rose by 1.9%. 

In 2016 the index of import prices, excluding crude oil and mineral oil products, was on an annual average 1.9% below the level of a year earlier. In December 2016 it increased by 1.7% compared to December 2015 and in comparison with November 2016 it rose by 0.9%.

The index of export prices decreased by an average 0.9% in 2016 from 2015. This was the highest price decline since 2009 (–2.2% compared with 2008). In December 2016, it increased by 1.1% compared with the corresponding month of the preceding year. In November and in October 2016 the annual rates of change were +0.3% and –0.1%, respectively. From November to December 2016 the index rose by 0.4%.

Basic data and long time series are available in tables Index of export prices (61421-0006) and Index of import prices (61411-0006) in the GENESIS-Online database.

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