Press release No. 051 of 14 February 2017
WIESBADEN – Consumer prices in Germany rose by 1.9% in January 2017 compared with January 2016. The inflation rate as measured by the consumer price index continued to increase at the beginning of the year. In December 2016, it had already been +1.7%. An inflation rate of +1.9% was last recorded in July 2013. Compared with December 2016, the consumer price index fell by 0.6% in January 2017. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) thus confirms its provisional overall results of 30 January 2017.
Since December 2016, the development of of energy prices has had an upward effect on prices. Energy prices as a whole were markedly up in January 2017 compared with a year earlier (+5.9%). The year-on-year increase in energy prices was considerably higher than in December 2016 when the relevant rate of price increase had been +2.5%. In January 2017, especially mineral oil products were more expensive than a year earlier (+18.1%, of which heating oil: +42.5%; motor fuels: +12.8%). Consumers had to pay more for electricity, too (+1.4%). A particularly strong decline was however recorded in charges for central and district heating (–5.7%) and gas prices (–3.3%). Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate in January 2017 would have been +1.5%; excluding the prices of mineral oil products, it would have been +1.3%.
Food prices, too, were markedly higher (+3.2%) in January 2017 than in January 2016. The increase in food prices thus accelerated again (December 2016: +2.5%; November 2016: +1.2%). In January 2017, a considerable year-on-year increase in prices was recorded especially for edible fats and oils (+12.8%, including butter: +26.2% and olive oil: +5.3%) and vegetables (+10.7%, including cucumbers: +69.5% and butterhead lettuce or iceberg salad: +59.2%). Compared with January 2016, higher prices were recorded for all other food groups, too, such as fruit (+4.6%), dairy products and eggs (+2.7%) and bread and cereals (+0.4%).
Compared with the overall inflation rate, the prices of goods as a whole, including energy and food, recorded an above-average year-on-year increase (+2.7%) in January 2017. Apart from that, the prices of individual goods were markedly up on a year earlier. Examples are newspapers and periodicals (+4.2%) and tobacco products (+3.2%). However, price decreases were also recorded for some goods, among other things, consumer electronics (–4.6%).
Compared with goods prices, the year-on-year increase in service prices (+1.2%) was less marked in January 2017. The increase in service prices was mainly due to the development of net rents exclusive of heating expenses (+1.6% on January 2016), as households spent a large part of their consumption expenditure on this item. Larger year-on-year price increases were observed, among other things, for catering services in restaurants, cafes and the like (+1.9%) and insurance services (+2.5%). However, the price development was consumer-friendly for telecommunications services (−1.1%). The prices of services of social facilities (–6.3%) declined, too, which was mainly the result of implementing Act II on Strengthening Long-Term Care.
Change in January 2017 on December 2016
A major reason for the 0.6% decrease in prices in January 2017 on December 2016 was seasonal factors. Package holiday prices (–19.6%) were notably lower than in the vacation month of December. The prices of air travels, too, recorded a decrease (–3.9%). Also, the prices of clothing (–5.7%) and footwear (–3.7%) were down on the previous month, which was especially due to discounts given on the winter collection. Particularly striking in January 2017 was also the decline in prices of services of social facilities (–9.1%), which was largely the result of implementing Act II on Strengthening Long-Term Care.
However, food prices were up (+0.7%) in January 2017 month-on-month. Price increases were recorded especially for vegetables (+3.8%, including butterhead lettuce or iceberg salad: +36.7% and tomatoes: +12.2%). In addition, higher energy prices (+0.9%) were observed - among other things, for motor fuels (+2.2%) and heating oil (+1.2%). The increase in electricity prices (+1.0%) was partly due to the adjustment of the relevant charge defined in the Renewable Energies Act (2017: 6.88 cents/kWh; 2016: 6.35 cents/kWh).
| Overall index / subindex | Weighting | Index 2010 = 100 | Change on the previous year | Change on the previous month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in per mill | in per cent | |||
| Overall index | 1,000.00 | 108.1 | 1.9 | –0.6 |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 102.71 | 115.8 | 3.0 | 0.8 |
| Food | 90.52 | 116.0 | 3.2 | 0.7 |
| Meat | 20.76 | 114.1 | 1.1 | 0.0 |
| Fruit | 8.76 | 127.2 | 4.6 | 0.1 |
| Vegetables | 11.26 | 118.5 | 10.7 | 3.8 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 37.59 | 117.0 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Clothing and footwear | 44.93 | 103.3 | 1.5 | –4.9 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 317.29 | 109.1 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
| Net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 209.93 | 109.0 | 1.6 | 0.3 |
| Household energy | 68.19 | 109.8 | 2.8 | 0.2 |
| Electricity | 26.21 | 126.9 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| Gas | 14.46 | 104.3 | –3.3 | –2.0 |
| Heating oil | 11.11 | 90.8 | 42.5 | 1.2 |
| Furnishings, household equipment and so on | 49.78 | 103.8 | 0.2 | –0.1 |
| Health | 44.44 | 106.1 | 1.7 | 0.6 |
| Transport | 134.73 | 107.1 | 4.1 | 0.7 |
| Motor fuels | 38.37 | 97.7 | 12.8 | 2.2 |
| Supergrade petrol | 28.38 | 98.1 | 11.1 | 2.2 |
| Diesel fuel | 9.19 | 97.2 | 19.7 | 1.9 |
| Communication | 30.10 | 90.1 | –0.9 | 0.1 |
| Recreation and culture | 114.92 | 104.8 | 1.6 | –5.1 |
| Package holidays | 26.83 | 99.4 | 1.4 | –19.6 |
| Education | 8.80 | 95.1 | 1.2 | 0.5 |
| Restaurants and hotels | 44.67 | 114.1 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 70.04 | 108.5 | 0.3 | –1.3 |
| Overall index | ||||
| Excluding heating oil and motor fuels | 950.52 | 108.8 | 1.3 | –0.7 |
| Excluding household energy | 931.81 | 108.0 | 1.8 | –0.7 |
| Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels) | 893.44 | 108.5 | 1.5 | –0.7 |
| Goods | 479.77 | 108.0 | 2.7 | 0.0 |
| Non-durable consumer goods | 307.89 | 111.3 | 3.5 | 0.6 |
| Energy | 106.56 | 105.4 | 5.9 | 0.9 |
| Services | 520.23 | 108.3 | 1.2 | –1.1 |
| Overall index ________ Year / Month | Index 2010 = 100 | Change on the previous year | Change on the previous month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in % | ||||
| A = annual average –= no figures or magnitude zero | ||||
| 2015 A | 106.9 | 0.3 | − | |
| 2016 A | 107.4 | 0.5 | − | |
| 2016 | January | 106.1 | 0.5 | –0.8 |
| February | 106.5 | 0.0 | 0.4 | |
| March | 107.3 | 0.3 | 0.8 | |
| April | 106.9 | –0.1 | –0.4 | |
| May | 107.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | |
| June | 107.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | |
| July | 107.6 | 0.4 | 0.3 | |
| August | 107.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |
| September | 107.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | |
| October | 107.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | |
| November | 108.0 | 0.8 | 0.1 | |
| December | 108.8 | 1.7 | 0.7 | |
| 2017 | January | 108.1 | 1.9 | –0.6 |
Harmonised index of consumer prices for Germany
The harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) for Germany, which is calculated for European purposes, rose by 1.9% in January 2017 on January 2016. Compared with December 2016, the index fell by 0.8% in January 2017. This confirmed the HICP estimates of 30 January 2017.
More information on consumer price statistics is provided by Fachserie 17, Reihe 7.
Detailed data and long time series of consumer price statistics can also be found in the Genesis Online database in tables 61111-0004 and 61111-0006 (consumer price index) as well as in tables 61121-0002 and 61121-0004 (harmonised consumer price index).