Press Inflation rate at +2.5% in May 2021

Energy prices caused highest inflation rate in almost 10 years

Press release No. 279 of 15 June 2021

Consumer price index, May 2021
+2.5% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.5% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
Harmonised index of consumer prices, May 2021
+2.4% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.3% 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 +2.5% in May 2021. The inflation rate rose for the fifth month in a row. That level was last recorded in September 2011, that is almost ten years ago. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that consumer prices were up 0.5% compared with April 2021.

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Substantial increase in energy prices of 10.0% compared with a year earlier

The prices of goods (total) increased by 3.1% between May 2020 and May 2021, which was above average. Energy product prices were 10.0% higher than a year earlier, after +7.9% in April 2021. In addition to the current rise in energy prices, the increasing inflation rate was also attributable to temporary special effects, in particular the CO2 charge introduced at the beginning of the year and the low energy product prices recorded a year earlier (base effect). At that time, the prices of mineral oil products were especially low. A year-on-year price increase was therefore recorded especially for heating oil (+35.4%) and motor fuels (+27.5%). However, electricity prices were almost unchanged (-0.1%).

Food prices rose below average

Food prices rose by 1.5% on the same month a year earlier. The price increase slowed down slightly (April 2021: +1.9%). Prices were up on a year earlier for instance for edible fats and oils (+3.8%) and bread and cereals (+2.2%). Vegetable prices increased below average (+1.1%). Marked price rises were observed for plants and flowers (+7.6%), bicycles and e-bikes (+4.2%) and tobacco products (+3.9%). However, notable price decreases were recorded for mobile phones (-6.9%).

Inflation rate excluding energy at +1.8%

The year-on-year increases in energy product prices had a clear upward effect on the inflation rate. Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate would have been +1.8% in May 2021; excluding the prices of heating oil and motor fuels, it would have been only +1.6%.

Service prices up 2.2% year on year

The prices of services (total) increased by 2.2% in May 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 1.4%. Higher price increases were recorded, for example, for services of social facilities (+5.7%) and financial services (+5.6%). In contrast, the prices of rail tickets, among others, were down (-4.7%).

Month-on-month prices up by 0.5%

Compared with April 2021, the consumer price index rose by 0.5%. The prices of energy products rose by 0.6%, especially heating oil became more expensive (+4.0%). In contrast, the prices of food went down slightly (-0.3%). Consumers had to pay less, in particular, for fresh vegetables (-4.6%) than in the previous month.

Methodological notes:

The current corona crisis caused some price collection problems again in May 2021 as some products were not available in the market. 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 May 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 index1,000.00108.72.50.5
Food and non-alcoholic-beverages96.85113.21.4-0.4
Food84.87114.11.5-0.3
Meat and meat products18.60117.21.40.2
Fruit8.88117.00.70.9
Vegetables11.08118.01.1-3.4
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco37.77116.82.40.0
Clothing and footwear45.34104.6-0.21.0
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels324.70107.51.60.2
Net rent exclusive of heating expenses196.32108.41.40.2
Household energy68.82103.12.20.4
Electricity25.92111.1-0.10.1
Gas 113.5399.32.20.1
Heating oil 17.01112.935.44.0
Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment50.04104.51.0-0.1
Health46.13105.8-0.20.0
Transport129.05111.88.40.5
Motor fuels35.01111.727.50.9
Supergrade petrol25.66110.528.00.8
Diesel fuel8.64115.126.61.4
Communication26.7294.2-1.40.0
Recreation and culture113.36106.83.62.2
Package holidays26.62(104.0)(7.4)(8.8)
Education9.02104.32.00.2
Restaurant and accommodation services46.77(113.5)(1.5)(0.5)
Miscellaneous goods and services74.25111.12.90.3
Overall index 
Excluding food and energy811.30108.51.90.6
Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels)896.17109.01.80.5
Excluding heating oil and motor fuels957.98108.51.60.4
Goods468.16108.13.10.3
Non-durable consumer goods297.54110.44.30.3
Energy103.83106.010.00.6
Services531.84109.22.20.6

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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