Press release No. 095 of 14 March 2019
Consumer price index, February 2019
+1.5% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result: +1.6%)
+0.4% on the previous month (provisional result: +0.5%)
Harmonised index of consumer prices, February 2019
+1.7% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.5% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
WIESBADEN - Consumer prices in Germany were up 1.5% in February 2019 from February 2018. The inflation rate – measured by the consumer price index – was thus slightly higher year on year than in January 2019 (+1.4%). Compared with January 2019, the consumer price index rose by 0.4% in February 2019. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) thus corrected its provisional overall results of 28 April 2019 slightly downwards.
Energy prices were 2.9% higher in February 2019 than a year earlier and had a slight upward effect on the overall inflation rate. A closer look at the individual energy products reveals that the prices of electricity, gas and other fuels were up 4.3% in February 2019 from February 2018. The highest price increase was recorded for heating oil (+14.2%). Motor fuel prices rose by only 0.1% over the same period. Excluding energy prices, the rate of inflation would have been +1.4% in February 2019.
Food prices rose 1.4% from February 2018 to February 2019. The increase in food prices thus accelerated; in January 2019, the relevant rate of price increase had been 0.8%. In February 2019, especially vegetable prices were up on a year earlier (+12.2%, including potatoes: +32.4%). Consumers paid markedly more also for edible fats and oils (+6.5%, including butter: +11.1%). In contrast, fruit prices were lower in February 2019 (-6.0%), as well as the prices of dairy products and eggs (-1.7%).
Compared with the overall inflation rate, the prices of goods as a whole showed an above-average increase of 1.7% between February 2018 and February 2019. In addition to energy products, considerable year-on-year price rises were also recorded for other goods, especially newspapers and periodicals (+5.1%) and tobacco products (+3.1%). However, prices of telephones (-7,1%) and consumer electronics (-6.1%), for example, were lower.
The prices of services (total) were up 1.4% in February 2019 compared with the same month a year earlier. A major factor contributing to the development of service prices was the increase in net rents exclusive of heating expenses (+1.4%), as households spend a large part of their consumption expenditure on this item. Larger price increases were observed, for example, for services of social facilities (+4.6%), maintenance and repair of vehicles (+4.0%) and for catering services in restaurants, cafes and the like (+2.3%). The prices of some services were down, among them package holidays (-3.4%).
Change in February 2019 on January 2019
Compared with January 2019, the consumer price index rose by 0.4% in February 2019. Package holiday prices were markedly up in February 2019 on the previous month (+10.7%). Higher prices than in January 2019 were recorded also for clothing (+3.6%), plants and flowers (+2.4%).
The prices of food (total) increased by 0.5% in February 2019 month on month. This was mainly due to the considerable rise in vegetable prices (+3.6%).
The prices of energy (total) increased only slightly from the previous month (+0.2%) in February 2019. A month-on-month increase in prices was recorded especially for heating oil (+1.1%). The price of motor fuel, in contrast, was somewhat lower (-0.2%). However, the prices of the individual motor fuels showed diverging trends (for instance, supergrade petrol: -0.7%, but diesel fuel: +1.0%).
| Overall index / subindex | Weighting | Index 2015 = 100 | Change on the same period a year earlier | Change on the preceding month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in per mill | in per cent | |||
1The results exclude the relevant charges. A = annual average | ||||
| Overall index | 1,000.00 | 103.8 | 1.5 | 0.4 |
| Food and non-alcoholic-beverages | 96.85 | 107.2 | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| Food | 84.87 | 107.7 | 1.4 | 0.5 |
| Meat | 18.60 | 105.2 | 1.0 | 0.1 |
| Fruit | 8.88 | 104.8 | -6.0 | -0.2 |
| Vegetables | 11.08 | 116.0 | 12.2 | 3.6 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 37.77 | 109.0 | 2.6 | 0.1 |
| Clothing and footwear | 45.34 | 99.9 | 1.4 | 1.9 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 324.70 | 104.3 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 196.32 | 105.0 | 1.4 | 0.1 |
| Household energy | 68.82 | 101.6 | 4.3 | 0.4 |
| Electricity | 25.92 | 106.0 | 2.8 | 0.5 |
| Gas1 | 13.53 | 94.8 | 2.4 | 0.2 |
| Heating oil1 | 7.01 | 115.1 | 14.2 | 1.1 |
| Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment | 50.04 | 102.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Health | 46.13 | 104.1 | 1.0 | 0.2 |
| Transport | 129.05 | 104.5 | 1.6 | 0.1 |
| Motor fuels | 35.01 | 99.7 | 0.1 | -0.2 |
| Supergrade petrol | 25.66 | 97.0 | -1.7 | -0.7 |
| Diesel fuel | 8.64 | 107.4 | 5.0 | 1.0 |
| Communication | 26.72 | 96.3 | -0.7 | 0.1 |
| Recreation and culture | 113.36 | 98.6 | 0.0 | 1.9 |
| Package holidays | 26.62 | 81.8 | -3.4 | 10.7 |
| Education | 9.02 | 104.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Restaurant and accommodation services | 46.77 | 107.9 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 74.25 | 105.1 | 1.9 | 0.3 |
| Overall index | ||||
| Excluding food and energy | 811.30 | 103.8 | 1.4 | 0.5 |
| Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels) | 896.17 | 104.2 | 1.4 | 0.5 |
| Excluding heating oil and motor fuels | 957.98 | 103.9 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
| Goods | 468.16 | 103.6 | 1.7 | 0.4 |
| Non-durable consumer goods | 297.54 | 104.8 | 2.1 | 0.4 |
| Energy | 103.83 | 101.0 | 2.9 | 0.2 |
| Services | 531.84 | 104.1 | 1.4 | 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 1.7% in February 2019 on February 2018. Compared with January 2019, the index rose markedly by 0.5% in February 2019.
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).
For further information:
Consumer price statistics
tel: +49 (0) 611 / 75 47 77,
contact form
