Press release No. 155 of 30 April 2025

Import prices, March 2025
+2.1% on the same month a year earlier
-1.0% on the previous month

Export prices, March 2025
+2.0% on the same month a year earlier
-0.4% on the previous month

WIESBADEN – Import prices were 2.1% higher in March 2025 compared with March 2024. Compared with the same month a year earlier, the rate of change was +3.6% in February 2025, and +3.1% in January 2025. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that import prices in March 2025 declined by 1.0% on February 2025.

Export prices in March 2025 were 2.0% higher than in March 2024. The year-on-year rate of change was +2.5% in February 2025, and +2.4% in January 2025. Compared with February 2025, export prices dropped by 0.4%.

Consumer goods had the biggest impact on the year-on-year rise in import prices

The 3.6% increase in consumer goods prices (durable and non-durable consumer goods) compared with the same month of the previous year had the biggest impact on the overall development of import prices in March 2025 (-0.6% on February 2025). The prices of imported non-durable consumer goods were 4.2% higher than in March 2024 (-0.5% on February 2025), and the prices of durable consumer goods were up 1.0%
(-1.0% on February 2025).

In the case of non-durable consumer goods, food prices, in particular, were markedly higher (+9.8%) than in March 2024 (+0.3% on February 2025). Compared with March 2024, higher prices were recorded particularly for orange juice (+52.6%), cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery (+39.8%), apple juice (+37.2%), poultry meat (+25.9%), beef (+24.9%), milk and milk products (+12.9%). In the case of confectionery, the increase was mainly attributable to higher prices of cocoa butter, fat and oil (+62.7%) and of chocolate and other confectionery (+31.5%).

Higher prices also for agricultural products, energy, intermediate and capital goods

The prices of imported agricultural products in March 2025 were 12.3% higher than in the same month a year earlier (+1.6% on February 2025). In particular, the price of green coffee increased markedly by +69.8% year on year and rose by 3.6% on the previous month. Raw cocoa was 61.0% more expensive than in March 2024 (+0.4% on February 2025). The prices of poultry and eggs were up 12.2% compared with the same month a year earlier. By contrast, the prices of onions (-27.2%) and live pigs (-25.4%), for example, were down from the previous year. Compared with the previous month, however, the prices of onions (+13.2%) and live pigs (+9.6%) were significantly higher.

Energy imports were also more expensive than in March 2024 (+2.4%). Compared with February 2025, however, prices here were much lower (-6.6%). Import prices of electricity increased by 46.5% compared with March 2024 (-26.7% on February 2025), and natural gas prices were up 34.6% (-5.6% on February 2025). By contrast, imported hard coal (-20.7%), crude oil (-12.8%) and mineral oil products (-12.5%) were less expensive than in March 2024. Compared with the previous month, the prices of mineral oil products fell by 7.0%, hard coal by 5.5% and crude oil by 5.2%.

When energy prices are excluded, import prices in March 2025 were 2.2% higher than in March 2024. However, they were down 0.3% compared with February 2025. If only crude oil and mineral oil products are not considered, the import price index was 3.2% above the level of March 2024 and 0.8% lower than in February 2025.

The prices of intermediate goods were 1.9% higher than in the same month of the previous year (-0.4% on February 2025), capital goods prices increased by 0.2% year on year (-0.4% on February 2025).

Biggest influence on year-on-year development of export prices coming from intermediate, consumer and capital goods

In the case of exports, the increase in the prices of intermediate, consumer and capital goods in March 2025 had the biggest influence on the development of prices.

The prices of exported intermediate goods rose by 1.6%, and capital goods cost 1.3% more than in March 2024. Compared with the previous month, however, the price of intermediate goods decreased by 0.1% on average, and the price of capital goods by 0.3%.

In the case of intermediate goods, markedly higher prices than a year earlier were mainly observed for non-ferrous metals and non-ferrous semi-finished metal products (+11.6%). In particular, precious metals (+32.5%) and unwrought aluminium (+17.3%) cost more than in March 2024.

The development in the case of capital goods was primarily influenced by the year-on-year price increases for machinery (+1.7%) and motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers (+1.5%).

Exported consumer goods were 2.5% more expensive than in March 2024 (+0.1% on February 2025). Durable consumer goods cost 1.5% more than a year earlier, and the prices of non-durable consumer goods were up 2.8% on March 2024. In particular, the price of exported coffee (decaffeinated or roasted) increased by 53.1% compared with March 2024. The prices of butter and dairy spreads rose by 27.0% year on year (-5.3% on February 2025), and cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery cost 24.2% more, including, in particular, markedly higher prices for cocoa paste, cocoa butter, fat and oil and cocoa powder (+29.1%).

Energy exports were 13.2% more expensive than in the same month a year earlier, but were down 7.5% compared with February 2025. Natural gas prices, for example, were 49.3% higher than in the same month a year earlier (-3.0% on February 2025). By contrast, mineral oil products were 12.3% less expensive year on year (-6.0% on February 2025).

The prices of exported agricultural products were up 6.4% on March 2024 (-0.7% on February 2025).

Indices of foreign trade prices are calculated excluding taxes and customs duties

The calculation of the indices of foreign trade prices is based exclusively on the contractually agreed prices at which domestic businesses buy goods abroad or sell goods abroad. Taxes and customs duties are therefore not included in the calculation of the indices.

Methodological notes:

The current base year of the indices of foreign trade prices is 2021. The basket of goods and the weighting of the indices refer to this base year.

More information:

Current results can also be found in the tables and statistical reports on the "Import and export price index" page of the Federal Statistical Office's website. Long time series are available, for example, in the tables on the index of import prices (61411-0002 and 61411-0006) and index of export prices (61421-0002 and 61421-0006) in the GENESIS-Online database.

Import price indices can also be found on the Economic Dashboard, which is part of Dashboard Germany (www.dashboard-deutschland.de) (only in German). In this data portal, the Federal Statistical Office brings together up-to-date indicators from official statistics producers and other data providers on the topics of the economy, finance, the labour market, construction, housing, energy and Ukraine. The portal also contains the Economic Pulse Monitor tool (Pulsmesser Wirtschaft) (only in German) for real-time economic monitoring.