Press Inflation rate at +5.2% in November 2021

Inflation rate reached highest level in 2021 so far

Press release No. 564 of 10 December 2021

Consumer price index, November 2021
+5.2% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
-0.2% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)

Harmonised index of consumer prices, November 2021
+6.0% 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 (CPI), stood at +5.2% in November 2021. In October 2021, it had been +4.5%. “The inflation rate increased for the sixth time in a row and in November reached the highest level recorded in 2021 so far,” said Dr. Georg Thiel, President of the Federal Statistical Office. “A higher inflation rate was last measured nearly 30 years ago. In June 1992 the inflation rate was +5.8%.” The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that consumer prices decreased slightly by 0.2% compared with October 2021.

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High inflation rate due to various reasons

There are various reasons for the high inflation rates in the second half of 2021, which include base effects due to low prices in 2020. The temporary value added tax reduction in the second half of 2020 and especially low prices of mineral oil products a year ago, which reached record lows in November, had an upward effect on the overall inflation rate. In addition to the temporary base effects of the past, crisis-related effects such as delivery bottlenecks and marked price increases at upstream stages in the economic process - which are also reflected in the consumer price index - are becoming stronger.

Energy prices up 22.1% year on year, while heating oil prices doubled

Prices of goods (total) recorded an above average increase of 7.9% from November 2020 to November 2021. Especially the rise in energy product prices (+22.1%) was markedly higher than overall inflation. The rate of price increase regarding energy was up for the fifth month in a row (October 2021: +18.6%).The prices of heating oil doubled compared with a year earlier (+101.9%), and those of motor fuels increased substantially (+43.2%). The prices of other household energy products such as natural gas (+9.6%) and electricity (+3.1%) rose, too. Like the base effects, which were due to the very low prices in November 2020, the CO2 charge introduced at the beginning of the year had an upward effect on prices.

4.5% increase in food prices compared with a year earlier

Food prices were up 4.5% in November 2021 compared with the same month of the previous year. Consumers had to pay markedly more especially for edible fats and oils (+11.9%) and for dairy products and eggs (+6.4%). Prices of non-durable consumer goods in general rose 9.9%. Price increases were also recorded for durable consumer goods (+4.3%, including vehicles: +7.7%; furniture and lighting equipment: +5.3%).

Inflation rate excluding energy at +3.4%

The year-on-year increases in energy and food prices had a clear upward effect on the inflation rate. Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate would have been +3.4% in November 2021; excluding the prices of both product groups, it would have been +3.3%.

Service prices up 2.9% year on year

The prices of services (total) increased by 2.9% in November 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 consumption expenditure, rose by 1.4% and thus had a downward effect on the overall inflation rate. The development of telecommunication prices, too, remained moderate at 1.5%. For some services, however, larger price rises were observed, such as maintenance and repair of vehicles (+5.8%) and services of social facilities (+4.7%).

Overall, prices were slightly down on the previous month (-0.2%)

Compared with October 2021, the consumer price index fell by 0.2% in November 2021. A major reason for the decrease was the seasonally lower package holidays prices (-21.6%). However, the prices of energy products were up (+1.8%, including motor fuels: +3.0%). Food prices increased, too (+0.5%, including edible fats and oils: +5.5%).

Methodological note:

For more background information and analyses regarding the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic for price development please refer to our “StatGespräch” podcast on inflation (in German). Here we shed light on the role of base effects and the future of price collection.

Using our Personal Inflation Calculator, you may also compare the official inflation rate with your personal one by modifying the monthly expenditure on some products so that these correspond better to your own consumer habits.

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.

The coronavirus pandemic, the associated restrictions on public life and the resulting consequences require a changed approach to the annual updating of the product weights used in the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP). A methodological paper which discusses this issue is provided on the website of the Federal Statistical Office. The updating of the HICP product weights explains a considerable part of the difference between the CPI and the HICP for Germany.

Crisis Monitor enables comparison between coronavirus 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 November 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 index1,000.00110.55.2-0.2
Food and non-alcoholic-beverages96.85113.94.60.5
Food84.87114.64.50.5
Meat and meat products18.60119.24.70.3
Fruit8.88113.71.2-0.8
Vegetables11.08112.52.71.7
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco37.77117.23.1-0.3
Clothing and footwear45.34106.41.90.5
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels324.70109.53.90.3
Net rent exclusive of heating expenses196.32109.11.40.1
Household energy68.82109.512.21.1
Electricity25.92112.63.10.5
Gas 113.53103.99.61.8
Heating oil 17.01147.6101.91.9
Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment50.04106.44.30.4
Health46.13105.91.60.1
Transport129.05118.514.91.2
Motor fuels35.01128.743.23.0
Supergrade petrol25.66126.241.22.9
Diesel fuel8.64135.448.53.0
Communication26.7294.21.60.0
Recreation and culture113.36104.54.5-4.9
Package holidays26.6287.9(9.7)-21.6
Education9.02104.81.90.1
Restaurant and accommodation services46.77116.4(4.0)0.0
Miscellaneous goods and services74.25112.54.10.2
Overall index 
Excluding food and energy811.30109.33.3-0.5
Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels)896.17109.83.4-0.5
Excluding heating oil and motor fuels957.98109.53.5-0.4
Goods468.16111.57.90.7
Non-durable consumer goods297.54114.39.90.8
Energy103.83116.022.11.8
Services531.84109.62.9-0.9

More information on consumer price statistics is contained in Fachserie 17, Reihe 7 "Verbraucherpreise für Deutschland". Detailed data of consumer price statistics can be found in the tables on the consumer price index (61111-0004) and (61111-0006) and on the harmonised index of consumer prices (61121-0002) and (61121-0004) in the GENESIS-Online database.

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