Press release No. 487 of 13 December 2018
Consumer price index, November 2018
+2.3% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.1% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
Harmonised index of consumer prices, November 2018
+2.2% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.1% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
WIESBADEN – Consumer prices in Germany were 2.3% higher in November 2018 than in November 2017. The inflation rate – measured by the consumer price index – thus decreased slightly (October 2018: +2.5%). Compared with October 2018, the consumer price index increased by 0.1% in November 2018. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) thus confirms its provisional overall results of 29 November 2018.
The increase of energy product prices again had a considerable effect on the inflation rate. Energy prices rose 9.3% in November 2018 on November 2017. The rise in energy prices has continuously accelerated since March 2018. In October 2018, the rate of energy price increase had been +8.9%. From November 2017 to November 2018, price rises were recorded especially for heating oil (+40.7%) and motor fuels (+15.0%). The price increases for other energy products were much smaller (for example, charges for central and district heating: +3.7%; electricity: +1.0%). Gas prices were down on a year earlier (-1.4%). Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate would have been +1.4% in November 2018; excluding the prices of mineral oil products, it would also have been +1.4%.
Food prices were up 1.4% from November 2017 to November 2018. The increase in food prices thus slowed again (October 2018: +1.9%) and thus had a downward effect on the overall inflation rate. Fruit prices fell markedly in November 2018 year on year (-4.2%). However, vegetable prices rose considerably (+9.8%) on a year earlier. Consumers had to pay slightly more than a year earlier also for other food groups (for example, fish and fish products: +2.5%; bread and cereals: +1.9%; dairy products and eggs: +0.5%).
The prices of goods (total) rose by 3.2% in November 2018 compared with the same month a year earlier, the main reason being the increase in energy prices (+9.3%). Significant year-on-year price increases were also recorded for other goods such as beer (+5.9%), newspapers and periodicals (+4.6%) and tobacco products (+3.1%). Prices were down for consumer electronics (-5.1%) and telephones (-3.3%), among other things.
The year-on-year increase in prices of services as a whole (+1.5%) was notably smaller than the increase in goods prices in November 2018. The development of service prices had a downward effect on the inflation rate. A major factor contributing to the increase in service prices was the development of net rents exclusive of heating expenses (+1.5%), as households spend a large part of their consumption expenditure on this item. Slightly larger price increases were observed, for example, for maintenance and repair of vehicles (+2.5%) and for catering services in restaurants, cafes and the like (+2.1%). In contrast, prices were markedly down year on year for pre-primary and primary education services (-11.9%), which was due especially to the fact that in some Länder parents did no longer have to bear childcare costs. There were price decreases on November 2017 for telecommunications services (-0.7%), among other things.
Change in November 2018 on October 2018
Compared with October 2018, the consumer price index increased by 0.1% in November 2018. In a month-on-month comparison, price rises were observed especially for energy as a whole (+1.8%). Prices were markedly up for mineral oil products (+3.7%, of which heating oil: +5.9%; motor fuels: +2.8%). However, different price developments were recorded in the individual Länder, especially for heating oil.
Food prices (total) were slightly down (-0.2%) in November 2018 compared with the previous month. Prices decreased on a month earlier especially for fruit (-2.1%, including citrus fruit: -17.3%; apples: -6.3%) and for edible fats and oils (-1.9%, including butter: -3.5%). Also, price decreases were recorded for accommodation services (-1.0%), footwear (-0.5%) and clothing (-0.4%), among other things.
| Overall index ________ Year / Month | Index 2010 = 100 | Change on the same period a year earlier | Change on the previous month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in per cent | ||||
| A = annual average –= no figures or magnitude zero | ||||
| 2016 A | 107.4 | 0.5 | − | |
| 2017 A | 109.3 | 1.8 | − | |
| 2017 | November | 109.9 | 1.8 | 0.3 |
| December | 110.6 | 1.7 | 0.6 | |
| 2018 | January | 109.8 | 1.6 | -0.7 |
| February | 110.3 | 1.4 | 0.5 | |
| March | 110.7 | 1.6 | 0.4 | |
| April | 110.7 | 1.6 | 0.0 | |
| May | 111.2 | 2.2 | 0.5 | |
| June | 111.3 | 2.1 | 0.1 | |
| July | 111.6 | 2.0 | 0.3 | |
| August | 111.7 | 2.0 | 0.1 | |
| September | 112.1 | 2.3 | 0.4 | |
| October | 112.3 | 2.5 | 0.2 | |
| November | 112.4 | 2.3 | 0.1 | |
| Overall index / subindex | Weighting | Index 2010 = 100 | Change on the same period a year earlier | Change on the preceding month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in per mill | in per cent | |||
| a Due to the changeover to other destinations, the rate of change on the previous month in reference month November cannot be interpreted as a pure price movement. | ||||
| Overall index | 1.000.00 | 112.4 | 2.3 | 0.1 |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 102.71 | 119.2 | 1.6 | -0.1 |
| Food | 90.52 | 119.5 | 1.4 | -0.2 |
| Meat | 20.76 | 118.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| Fruit | 8.76 | 128.1 | -4.2 | -2.1 |
| Vegetables | 11.26 | 113.3 | 9.8 | -1.2 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 37.59 | 124.1 | 3.4 | -0.1 |
| Clothing and footwear | 44.93 | 113.0 | 1.3 | -0.4 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 317.29 | 113.2 | 2.6 | 0.4 |
| Net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 209.93 | 112.1 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
| Household energy | 68.19 | 117.9 | 6.5 | 1.2 |
| Electricity | 26.21 | 129.5 | 1.0 | 0.1 |
| Gas | 14.46 | 102.1 | -1.4 | 0.0 |
| Heating oil | 11.11 | 130.0 | 40.7 | 5.9 |
| Furnishings, household equipment and so on | 49.78 | 105.6 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Health | 44.44 | 108.8 | 1.4 | -0.1 |
| Transport | 134.73 | 114.2 | 5.4 | 1.0 |
| Motor fuels | 38.37 | 112.4 | 15.0 | 2.8 |
| Supergrade petrol | 28.38 | 110.8 | 12.9 | 2.1 |
| Diesel fuel | 9.19 | 118.6 | 22.3 | 5.0 |
| Communication | 30.10 | 89.0 | -0.8 | 0.0 |
| Recreation and culture | 114.92 | 108.7 | 0.6 | -0.5 |
| Package holidays | 26.83 | 107.6 | 0.3 | -0.8a |
| Education | 8.80 | 93.1 | -3.2 | 0.0 |
| Restaurants and hotels | 44.67 | 118.8 | 2.4 | -0.1 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 70.04 | 111.0 | 1.8 | 0.1 |
| Overall index | ||||
| Excluding food and energy | 802.92 | 111.2 | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels) | 893.44 | 112.0 | 1.4 | -0.1 |
| Excluding heating oil and motor fuels | 950.52 | 112.2 | 1.4 | -0.1 |
| Goods | 479.77 | 113.4 | 3.2 | 0.4 |
| Non-durable consumer goods | 307.89 | 117.6 | 4.3 | 0.6 |
| Energy | 106.56 | 115.9 | 9.3 | 1.8 |
| Services | 520.23 | 111.5 | 1.5 | -0.1 |
Harmonised index of consumer prices for Germany
The harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) for Germany, which is calculated for European purposes, rose by 2.2% in November 2018 on November 2017. Compared with October 2018, the HICP increased by 0.1% in November 2018. This confirmed the HICP estimates of 29 November 2018.
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).
