Press Inflation rate at +1.7% in March 2021

Prices of motor fuels and heating oil had an upward effect on the inflation rate

Press release No. 189 of 15 April 2021

Consumer price index, March 2021
+1.7% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.5% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)

Harmonised index of consumer prices, March 2021
+2.0% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.5% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)

WIESBADEN − The inflation rate in Germany, measured as the year-on-year change in the consumer price index, stood at +1.7% in March 2021. The inflation rate was positive for the third month in a row after the temporary reduction of the value added tax rates had ended, and it increased once again (February 2021: +1.3%). The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that consumer prices rose by 0.5% compared with February 2021.

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Above-average increase in energy prices of 4.8% compared with a year earlier

The prices of goods (total) rose by 1.9% from March 2020 to March 2021. Energy product prices were 4.8% higher than a year earlier. Following the +0.3% rise in February 2021, the year-on-year price increase accelerated markedly. Higher prices than in March 2020 were recorded especially for heating oil (+19.4%) and motor fuels (+12.7%) in March 2021. In addition to the CO2 charge introduced at the beginning of the year, the price decrease of a year earlier had an impact on the inflation rates (base effect). Natural gas prices also increased on a year earlier (+2.2%), and electricity prices remained nearly unchanged (0.1%). Food prices rose by 1.6%. Higher prices were recorded in particular for fruit and dairy products (+2.5% each). Marked price rises were also observed for tobacco products (+4.3%), although with a lower weight, while notable decreases were recorded, for instance, for mobile phones (-8.2%).

Inflation rate excluding energy at +1.4%

The marked year-on-year increase in energy product prices had an upward effect on the inflation rate. Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate would have been +1.4% in March 2021; excluding the prices of heating oil and motor fuels, it would have been only +1.3%.

Service prices up 1.6% year on year

The prices of services (total) were up 1.6% in March 2021 compared with the same month a year earlier. Net rents exclusive of heating expenses, which are important as they account for a large part of household final consumption expenditure, rose by 1.3%. Higher price increases were recorded, for example, for services of social facilities (+6.3%) and the maintenance and repair of vehicles (+3.6%). In contrast to that, the prices of telecommunication services, among others, were down (-1.0%).

Heating oil and motor fuel prices up 5.0% month on month

Compared with February 2021, the consumer price index was up by 0.5% in March 2021, with energy product prices increasing by 2.1%. Consumers paid more especially for heating oil (+6.1%) and motor fuels (+4.8%). Food prices (total) remained unchanged, with the prices of edible fats and oils rising (+2.5%), for instance, and those of vegetables falling (-2.1%).

Methodological notes:
The current coronavirus crisis again caused price collection problems in March 2021. Some products were not available in the market, shops were closed and there were other reasons why prices could not be collected. For information on the consequences of the lockdown for price collection please refer to our methodological paper. The quality of the results of consumer price statistics remains unaffected.

The difference between the CPI and the HICP for Germany is mainly due to the fact that the weights of the goods were updated at different points in time, see methodological paper (only in german).

The consumer price index results are also available on the Corona statistics webpage of the Federal Statistical Office together with other indicators which can be used to assess the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

Crisis Monitor enables comparison between corona crisis and financial and economic crisis
The consumer price index also forms part of the Crisis Monitor (www.destatis.de/krisenmonitor), by means of which the Federal Statistical Office compares the development of major short-term indicators in the corona crisis and the financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009. The Crisis Monitor complements the Corona statistics webpage (www.destatis.de/corona), which provides statistical information on the economic and social consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

Consumer price index for Germany March 2021
Overall index / subindexWeightingIndex
2015 = 100
Change on
the same
period a
year earlier
Change on
the preceding
month
in per millin per cent

1: Results do not include charges.

( ) Limited informational value due to somewhat limited statistical reliability as imputation rates are high (over 50%).

Overall index1,000.00107.51.70.5
Food and non-alcoholic-beverages96.85112.21.60.1
Food84.87112.91.60.0
Meat and meat products18.60116.21.50.3
Fruit8.88115.82.50.4
Vegetables11.08114.40.3-2.1
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco37.77115.13.00.3
Clothing and footwear45.34103.7-1.61.4
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels324.70107.21.30.3
Net rent exclusive of heating expenses196.32108.11.30.1
Household energy68.82103.00.90.7
Electricity25.92111.00.10.0
Gas 113.5399.32.20.2
Heating oil 17.01111.019.46.1
Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment50.04104.51.2-0.2
Health46.13105.7-0.10.2
Transport129.05110.64.91.7
Motor fuels35.01110.312.74.8
Supergrade petrol25.66109.012.75.3
Diesel fuel8.64114.312.94.1
Communication26.7294.3-1.5-0.1
Recreation and culture113.36101.41.60.5
Package holidays26.62(83.6)(-1.9)(3.6)
Education9.02104.11.60.3
Restaurant and accommodation services46.77(112.5)(1.3)(0.0)
Miscellaneous goods and services74.25110.63.10.5
Overall index 
Excluding food and energy811.30107.21.40.3
Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels)896.17107.71.40.3
Excluding heating oil and motor fuels957.98107.41.30.3
Goods468.16107.31.90.7
Non-durable consumer goods297.54109.42.80.8
Energy103.83105.54.82.1
Services531.84107.71.60.4

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).

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