Press release No. 051 of 17 February 2026
Consumer price index, January 2026:
+2.1% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.1% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
Harmonised index of consumer prices, January 2026:
+2.1% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
-0.1% 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 +2.1% in January 2026. In December 2025, it was +1.8% and +2.3% in both November and October 2025. "The rise in overall consumer prices intensified at the start of the year", says Ruth Brand, President of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). She adds: "In particular, the price of food increased more in January than in the previous months. In the months from September to December 2025, the price increase observed for food was still lower than overall inflation. Furthermore, the increase in service prices continues to drive up inflation in January." Compared with December 2025, consumer prices in January 2026 rose by 0.1%.
Energy product prices down 1.7% compared with January 2025
The prices of energy products (total) were 1.7% lower in January 2026 than in the same month a year earlier. The decline in energy prices stood at -1.3% in December 2025. The prices of household energy fell by 3.2% in the period from January 2025 to January 2026, with consumers benefitting from lower prices for electricity (-3.2%), for example. The reduced transmission network charges for electricity since the start of the year are likely a contributing factor to the price decline. Lower prices were also recorded for gas including charge (-2.5%) and district heating (-0.8%). The abolition of the gas storage neutrality charge, among other factors, had a downward effect on the development of these prices. At the same time, the prices of fossil fuels were affected by the partly higher CO₂ pricing introduced at the start of the year. A contrary price trend was observed in this context for mineral oil products in January 2026: while heating oil remained considerably less expensive compared with January 2025 (-10.2%), motor fuel prices increased by 0.5%.
Food prices were up +2.1% on January 2025, a markedly higher increase than in the previous months
Food prices in January 2026 were up 2.1% year on year, after +0.8% in December 2025. A stronger rise in prices was therefore recorded; in the period from September to December 2025 food prices increased at a below-average rate compared with the same month of the previous year. Comparing January 2026 with January 2025, there is a notable price increase for sugar, jam, honey and other confectionery (+10.9%, including chocolate: +21.0%). Consumers also had to pay much more than a year earlier for fruit (+6.1%) and meat and meat products (+4.9%, including beef and veal: +14.9%, poultry meat: +8.3%). By contrast, price decreases were observed particularly for edible fats and oils (-20.1%, including butter: -33.0%; olive oil: -13.5%). In addition, markedly lower prices were recorded for some essential food items, such as dairy products (-3.5%) and potatoes (-10.1%). On the other hand, eggs were considerably more expensive (+12.5%).
Inflation rate excluding food and energy at +2.5%
The inflation rate excluding energy and the inflation rate excluding food and energy, often referred to as core inflation, both stood at +2.5% in January 2026. The two rates demonstrate that inflation remained above average in other important product groups.
Service prices registered above-average increase of 3.2% year on year
The prices of services (total) were 3.2% higher in January 2026 than in the same month a year earlier. Service prices therefore registered above-average increases and have been markedly higher than overall inflation since January 2024. From January 2025 to January 2026, higher prices were registered particularly for services of social protection (+7.1%) and combined passenger transport services (+6.2%). The latter is partly due to the higher price of the Germany ticket, which increased from 58 to 63 euros. Compared with the previous year, substantial price rises were also observed for the maintenance and repair of vehicles (+5.2%), health insurance services (+4.4%) and water supply and miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling (+3.6%), for instance. Catering services in restaurants, cafés and the like (+3.6%) also cost more than a year earlier, also after the VAT rate on the food offered had been reduced from 19% to 7% at the beginning of the year. Net rents exclusive of heating expenses (+2.1%) continued to be a significant factor contributing to the overall development of prices in January 2026. By contrast, only a few services cost less than in the same month a year earlier, for example telecommunications services (-0.4%).
Goods prices up 1.0% on January 2025
The prices of goods (total) rose 1.0% from January 2025 to January 2026. Non-durable consumer goods cost 1.3% more than in the same month of the previous year and the prices of durable consumer goods were up 0.4%. In addition to food (+2.1%), other individual products were markedly more expensive, in particular non-alcoholic beverages (+6.8%, including coffee, tea and cocoa: +18.2%) and tobacco products (+4.4%). On the other hand, price decreases were recorded not only for energy (-1.7%) but also for electrical household appliances (-3.1%), for example.
Prices (total) up 0.1% month on month
Compared with December 2025, the consumer price index rose by 0.1% in January 2026. The prices of food (total) increased by 1.0% month on month, in particular fresh vegetables (+6.1%) cost more than in the previous month. Energy prices were also higher than in December 2025 (+0.8%), with motor fuel prices increasing substantially (+5.6%). Prices were down month on month for electricity (-2.8%), natural gas including charge (-2.4%) and district heating (-1.6%). Factors contributing to this development were the reduction of the transmission network charge at the beginning of the year, the abolishment of the gas storage neutrality charge, and partly higher CO₂ prices. The fact that the price of the Germany ticket rose from 58 to 63 euros was reflected by higher prices in public passenger transport (+2.8%) and of transport association tickets (+5.2%). By contrast, price decreases were observed for air tickets (-16.7%), package holidays (-14.1%) and clothing (-5.5%) primarily for seasonal reasons.
Methodological notes:
The harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) is calculated in addition to the national consumer price index (CPI) to enable comparisons within the euro area. The HICP is the key measure for quantifying price stability within the framework of European monetary policy and is generally derived from the same data material on which the national CPI is based.
Apart from the individual purposes they serve, the CPI and the HICP differ in terms of coverage, methodology and weighting.
Substantial changes are introduced in the HICP as of January 2026 with regard to methodology and the classification used. Furthermore, the HICP result for reference month January 2026 uses 2025 as the index base (2025=100) for the first time. Up-to-date information on the changes concerning the HICP is provided in a web article on the "Consumer price index" page of the website of the Federal Statistical Office. Explanatory notes, a methodological paper and the HICP results are also available there.
Overall index / subindex | Weighting | Change on same period of previous year | Change on the previous month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Index | ||||
in per mill | % | |||
| 1: Core inflation | ||||
| Overall index | 1,000.00 | 122.8 | 2.1 | 0.1 |
| Food and non-alcoholic-beverages | 119.04 | 137.7 | 2.6 | 0.9 |
| Food | 104.69 | 137.2 | 2.1 | 1.0 |
| Non-alcoholic beverages | 14.35 | 141.3 | 6.8 | 0.2 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 35.26 | 128.5 | 3.1 | 0.5 |
| Clothing and footwear | 42.25 | 106.5 | -0.1 | -4.5 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 259.25 | 118.1 | 1.2 | -0.1 |
| Actual net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 68.30 | 111.4 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Imputed net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 104.13 | 110.2 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Household energy | 43.44 | 143.2 | -3.2 | -2.2 |
| Electricity | 24.50 | 120.8 | -3.2 | -2.8 |
| Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment | 67.78 | 118.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Health | 55.49 | 112.2 | 1.9 | 0.9 |
| Transport | 138.22 | 129.0 | 2.2 | 0.4 |
| Motor fuels | 30.46 | 142.2 | 0.5 | 5.6 |
| Communication | 23.35 | 98.5 | -0.5 | 0.2 |
| Recreation and culture | 104.23 | 115.9 | 1.5 | -1.6 |
| Package holidays | 13.22 | 118.3 | 6.0 | -14.1 |
| Education | 9.06 | 123.8 | 4.8 | 1.4 |
| Restaurant and accommodation services | 47.20 | 133.0 | 3.3 | 0.1 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 98.87 | 130.2 | 4.9 | 0.9 |
| Social protection | 27.75 | 139.4 | 7.1 | 1.8 |
| Insurance services | 22.56 | 133.4 | 5.1 | 0.3 |
| Overall index, excluding food and energy 1 | 821.41 | 119.1 | 2.5 | -0.3 |
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 January 2026 (available on Eurostat’s website under News > Euro indicators).
An overview of individual measures of the Federal Government which affect the national CPI and the HICP for Germany is provided on the "Consumer price index" page of the website of the Federal Statistical Office.
Results for the CPI 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.
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.