Press release No. 019 of 16 January 2026
Consumer price index, December and year 2025
+1.8% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
0.0% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
+2.2% on an annual average basis in 2025 compared with 2024 (provisional result confirmed)
Harmonised index of consumer prices, December and year 2025
+2.0% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.2% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
+2.3% on an annual average basis in 2025 compared with 2024 (provisional result confirmed)
WIESBADEN – Consumer prices in Germany rose by 2.2% in 2025 on an annual average basis compared with 2024. “The development of consumer prices has therefore stabilised. In 2024, the inflation rate also stood at +2.2%, on an annual average basis, and markedly exceeded the 2 percent mark in the preceding years,” says Ruth Brand, President of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). In 2023, the annual average rate was +5.9%, in 2022 it stood at +6.9% and in 2021 at +3.1%. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that the monthly inflation rate in Germany, measured as the year-on-year change in the consumer price index (CPI), stood at +1.8% in December 2025. The monthly rate therefore slowed towards the end of the year and in December dropped below two percent for the first time in 2025. A lower rate of inflation was last measured in September 2024 (+1.6%).
Year-on-year rate of price increase excluding food and energy at +2.8% in 2025
The year-on-year rate of price increase excluding energy and food, often referred to as "core inflation", was +2.8% in 2025, after standing at +3.0% in 2024 and +5.1% in 2023. Compared with the two preceding years, the rate was down in 2025 but still markedly higher than overall inflation. This demonstrates that inflation also remained high in other product groups on an annual average basis in 2025.
Particularly sharp rise in service prices again: +3.5% in 2025
There were above-average increases (+3.5%) in the prices of services (total) in 2025 compared with 2024. In the two preceding years, the prices of services also rose significantly on an annual average basis (2024: +3.8%; 2023: +4.4%). Consumers had to pay markedly more for combined passenger transport services (+11.4%), services of social facilities (+8.7%) and insurance services (+7.4%) on an annual average in 2025. From 2024 to 2025, considerable price increases were also recorded for many other services such as in-patient health services (+6.7%), the maintenance and repair of vehicles (+5.5%), package holidays (+4.6%) and catering services in restaurants, cafés and the like (+4.0%). Net rents exclusive of heating expenses, which are a major factor contributing to the development of prices, were up 2.1% in 2025 on an annual average basis and therefore slightly lower than overall inflation. By contrast, the prices of telecommunications services fell by 1.1% from 2024.
Goods prices up 1.0% in 2025, with food prices increasing by 2.0 %
The prices of goods (total) rose by 1.0% on an annual average in 2025 compared with 2024, at a much slower rate than service prices. In the goods category, the prices of non-durable consumer goods increased by 1.1%. Here, the decline in energy prices (-2.4%) and the increase in the prices of food (+2.0%) had a downward effect on the year-on-year rate of price increase. In the food category, contrary price trends could be observed (for example, sugar, jam, honey and other confectionery: +5.9%; fruit: +4.9%; but edible fats and oils: -1.0%; vegetables: -0.3%). In some cases, marked price increases and notable price decreases could also be seen within the individual food groups. Non-durable consumer goods prices were also up on an annual average basis for non-alcoholic beverages (+7.0%) and tobacco products (+5.0%), in particular. Regarding energy, however, lower prices were recorded for household energy (-2.3%, including heating oil: -5.3%; electricity: -2.2%) and motor fuel (-2.6%). Excluding energy, the year-on-year rate of price increase in 2025 would have been 2.6%. Durable consumer goods cost 0.6% more in 2025 than a year earlier.
Consumer prices in December 2025 up 1.8% on December 2024
The inflation rate in Germany stood at +1.8% in December 2025 compared with December 2024, following a rate of 2.3% in both November and October 2025. The rise in prices therefore slowed towards the end of the year. In particular, the decline in energy prices intensified further in December 2025, contributing more to the reduction of inflation. The rate of price change for energy stood at -1.3% in December 2025 compared with December 2024, following a rate of -0.1% in November 2025 compared with November 2024. Household energy cost 1.7% less in December 2025 than in the same month a year earlier, with consumers particularly benefitting from lower prices for heating oil (-3.6%) and electricity (-1.8%). By contrast, markedly more had to be paid for firewood, wood pellets and other solid fuels (+7.4%) in the household energy category. Motor fuel prices fell by 0.7% compared with December 2024. The inflation rate excluding energy was +2.2% in December 2025.
Food prices up 0.8% on December 2024
Year on year, food prices increased by +0.8% in December 2025, after +1.2% in November 2025. This means that food prices continued to increase at a below-average rate in December 2025 compared with the same month of the previous year. However, sugar, jam, honey and other confectionery (+8.8%, including chocolate: +18.9%), in particular, continued to be significantly more expensive, as did meat and meat products (+3.9%, including beef and veal: +14.1%; poultry meat: +6.3%). By contrast, the prices of edible fats and oils (-20.2%, including butter: -31.7%; olive oil: -17.7%) were lower than a year earlier.
Excluding food and energy prices, the inflation rate would have been +2.4% in December 2025. This demonstrates that inflation was above average in other important product groups.
Goods prices in December 2025 up 0.4% on December 2024, increase in service prices still above average at +3.5%
The prices of goods (total) were up 0.4% in December 2025 on the same month a year earlier. A price increase of +0.8% was recorded for non-durable consumer goods, which include food and energy, and non-alcoholic beverages (+5.9%) and tobacco products (+4.4%), in particular, also became more expensive. Durable consumer goods were less expensive (-0.3%).
Over the same period, the prices of services (total) continued to increase at an above-average rate of 3.5%, including net rents exclusive of heating expenses, which rose by 2.2%. Some services were markedly more expensive, including combined passenger transport services (+11.4%) and services of social facilities (+7.7%). Compared with a year earlier, considerable price increases were also recorded for transport insurance activities (+7.5%), passenger rail transport (+7.2%) and in-patient health services (+6.5%). In December 2025, only a few services cost less than a year earlier, for example telecommunications services (-0.4%).
Overall, prices remain stable compared with the previous month
The consumer price index in December 2025 remained unchanged compared with November 2025 (0.0%). Due to the season, higher prices were registered for international air tickets (+24.0%) and package holidays (+6.0%), in particular. Food prices (total) decreased by 0.1% month on month. In addition to the increase in the price of vegetables (+3.3%), the further decline in the price of butter, by 12.5%, was a notable price movement, after the considerable drop in butter prices already registered in the previous months (November: -4.6%; October 2025: -10.0%). By contrast, the prices of energy (total) were down 1.1% on the previous month; motor fuel prices, in particular, registered a decline (-2.2%).
Methodological notes:
In the Euro area, the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) is used for the purposes of monetary policy. Apart from the individual purposes they serve, the consumer price index (CPI) and the HICP differ in terms of coverage, methodology and weighting. This explains differences between the CPI and the HICP for Germany. In contrast to the HICP, the CPI also includes household expenditure on owner-occupied housing, games of chance and broadcasting fees. In addition, the HICP product weights are updated annually. Explanatory notes, a methodological paper and the HICP results are also available on the website of the Federal Statistical Office.
Inflation Calculator for personal rate of inflation:
Consumers can use the Personal Inflation Calculator of the Federal Statistical Office to adapt their monthly consumption expenditure on individual product groups according to their own consumption patterns and to calculate their personal inflation rate. In addition, the Price Kaleidoscope gives an overview of the price trend and the weights of various products.
Overall index / subindex | Weighting | 2025 (annual average) | December 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Index | Change on annual average of 2024 | Change on December 2024 | ||
in per mill | % | |||
| Overall index | 1,000.00 | 121.9 | 2.2 | 1.8 |
| Food and non-alcoholic-beverages | 119.04 | 136.2 | 2.6 | 1.4 |
| Food | 104.69 | 135.9 | 2.0 | 0.8 |
| Meat and meat products | 22.16 | 132.2 | 2.3 | 3.9 |
| Fruit | 11.62 | 124.5 | 4.9 | 3.0 |
| Vegetables | 13.72 | 129.8 | -0.3 | 0.2 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 35.26 | 126.3 | 3.3 | 2.6 |
| Clothing and footwear | 42.25 | 110.2 | 0.8 | -0.6 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 259.25 | 117.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| Actual net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 68.30 | 110.0 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| Imputed net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 104.13 | 109.0 | 2.0 | 2.3 |
| Household energy | 43.44 | 146.9 | -2.3 | -1.7 |
| Electricity | 24.50 | 124.6 | -2.2 | -1.8 |
| Gas 1 | 6.07 | 191.2 | 0.7 | -0.3 |
| Healting oil 1 | 1.70 | 188.8 | -5.3 | -3.6 |
| Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment | 67.78 | 118.0 | 0.0 | -0.5 |
| Health | 55.49 | 110.8 | 2.8 | 2.5 |
| Transport | 138.22 | 127.1 | 1.8 | 2.3 |
| Motor fuels | 30.46 | 137.5 | -2.6 | -0.7 |
| Supergrade petrol | 23.19 | 134.9 | -2.7 | -1.0 |
| Diesel fuel | 6.92 | 144.2 | -2.2 | 0.1 |
| Communication | 23.35 | 98.4 | -0.7 | 0.0 |
| Recreation and culture | 104.23 | 117.6 | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| Package holidays | 13.22 | 135.9 | 4.6 | 4.0 |
| Education | 9.06 | 119.8 | 4.8 | 5.1 |
| Restaurant and accommodation services | 47.20 | 131.7 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 98.87 | 127.0 | 5.7 | 5.0 |
| Overall index, excluding food and energy 2 | 821.41 | 118.3 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
More information:
Detailed results 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 (61121-0006) in the GENESIS-Online database. Special items shown in Tables 61111-0006 and 61121-0006 contain CPI and HICP results which are used to measure "core inflation".
Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union, has released provisional results on Euro area inflation for December 2025 and the full year of 2025 (available on Eurostat’s website under News > Euro indicators).
Results for the consumer price index 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.
