Press release No. 233 of 30 June 2025

Import prices, May 2025
-1.1% on the same month a year earlier
-0.7% on the previous month

Export prices, May 2025
+1.0% on the same month a year earlier
0.0% on the previous month

WIESBADEN – Import prices were 1.1% lower in May 2025 compared with May 2024. The year-on-year rate of change was -0.4% in April 2025, and +2.1% in March 2025. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that import prices in May 2025 were down 0.7% from April 2025.

Export prices in May 2025 were 1.0% higher than in May 2024. The year-on-year rate of change here was also +1.0% in April 2025, and +2.0% in March 2025. Export prices were unchanged compared with April 2025.

Energy had the biggest impact on the year-on-year decline in import prices

The decrease in energy prices compared with May 2024, at -14.6%, had the biggest impact on the overall development of import prices in May 2025. Compared with April 2025, prices here were down 4.4%.

Crude oil (-26.4%), hard coal (-21.2%) and mineral oil products (-17.3%) were less expensive than in May 2024. Price decreases on the previous month were also recorded for crude oil (-6.5%), mineral oil products (-3.2%) and hard coal (-2.2%).

By contrast, import prices of electricity increased by 1.7% compared with May 2024, and import prices of natural gas were up 0.5% year on year. Both were down, however, compared with April 2025, with prices of electricity falling 13.5% and those of natural gas declining 3.0%.

When energy prices are excluded, import prices in May 2025 were 0.4% higher than in May 2024. By contrast, they were 0.3% lower compared with April 2025. If only crude oil and mineral oil products are not considered, the import price index was also 0.4% above the level of May 2024 and 0.4% lower than in April 2025. 

Lower prices also registered for intermediate and capital goods

The import prices of intermediate goods were 1.0% lower than in the same month of the previous year (-0.5% on April 2025), while the import prices of capital goods were down 0.3% year on year (-0.2% on April 2025).

Consumer goods and agricultural products continue to see price increases

In May 2025, the prices of imported consumer goods (durable and non-durable) were 2.7% higher than a year earlier but were unchanged compared with April 2025. Imported non-durable consumer goods were 3.3% more expensive than in May 2024 (0.0% on April 2025), while the prices of imported durable consumer goods were unchanged year on year (-0.1% on April 2025).

In the case of non-durable consumer goods, food prices, in particular, were markedly higher (+10.5%) than in May 2024 (+0.7% on April 2025). Compared with May 2024, higher prices were recorded particularly for orange juice (+33.9%), cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery (+33.8%), apple juice (+32.9%), beef (+32.8%), poultry meat (+28.9%), and milk and milk products (+13.0%). In the case of confectionery, the increase was mainly attributable to higher prices of chocolate and other confectionery (+35.6%).

The prices of imported agricultural products in May 2025 were 4.2% higher than in the same month a year earlier (-2.3% on April 2025). In particular, the price of green coffee increased markedly by +50.0% year on year, and was down 3.8% on the previous month.

Onions (+26.6%), raw cocoa (+12.5%) and poultry and eggs (+12.0%) also cost more than a year earlier. These products were also more expensive compared with April 2025, with the price of onions up 14.2%, raw cocoa up 4.3% and poultry and eggs up 0.8%.

By contrast, live pigs, for example, were less expensive (-10.5%) than a year earlier (+3.3% on April 2025), as were potatoes (-3.9% on May 2024 and -5.0% on April 2025).

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

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

Exported consumer goods were 2.3% more expensive than in May 2024 (+0.2% on April 2025). While the prices of durable consumer goods were up 1.6% year on year, non-durable consumer goods were 2.5% more expensive than in May 2024. In particular, coffee (decaffeinated or roasted) was exported at prices which were 55.1% higher than in May 2024 (+1.7% on April 2025). Butter and dairy spreads were 23.3% more expensive than in the same month a year earlier but were down 1.9% compared with April 2025.

The prices of exported capital goods rose by 1.1% compared with May 2024 (+0.1% on April 2025).

Intermediate goods were 0.2% more expensive than in May 2024 and 0.2% less expensive than in the previous month.

The price level of exported agricultural products remained unchanged compared with the previous year. Compared with April 2025, these products were 0.6% less expensive.

Energy exports, by contrast, cost less compared with the previous year and the previous month (-4.3% in each case). While mineral oil products were 15.6% less expensive than a year earlier (-1.6% compared with April 2025), the prices of natural gas were up 10.7% on the same month a year earlier. Compared with April 2025, the price of natural gas was down 5.5%.

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.