Press release No. 079 of 11 March 2026
Consumer price index, February 2026:
+1.9% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.2% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
Harmonised index of consumer prices, February 2026:
+2.0% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.4% 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 +1.9% in February 2026. The inflation rate was +2.1% in January 2026 and +1.8% in December 2025. "The increase in consumer prices slowed slightly in February", says Ruth Brand, President of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). She adds: "In particular, the rise in food prices eased significantly and had a downward effect on the development of prices, while services continued to drive up inflation." Compared with January 2026, consumer prices in February 2026 rose by 0.2%.
Energy product prices down 1.9% compared with February 2025
The prices of energy products (total) were 1.9% lower in February 2026 than in the same month a year earlier, after -1.7% in January 2026. In particular, the prices of household energy fell (-3.5%) in the period from February 2025 to February 2026, with consumers benefitting from lower prices for natural gas (-4.4%), electricity (-4.1%) and district heating (-1.0%), for example. This is due, in part, to measures implemented by the Federal Government since the start of the year (including reduced transmission network charges and the abolition of the gas storage neutrality charge). While heating oil (-4.7%) was also less expensive, the prices of solid fuels were up 6.0% year on year. Motor fuel prices increased by 0.3% in the same period.
Food prices registered below-average increase of 1.1% compared with previous year
Food prices were 1.1% higher in February 2026 than in the same month a year earlier. The price growth (+2.1%) observed in January 2026 therefore eased. Price increases continued to be recorded particularly for sugar, jam, honey and other confectionery (+8.1%, including chocolate: +13.7%). Consumers also had to pay markedly more than a year earlier for meat and meat products (+4.5%, including beef and veal: +14.5%; poultry meat: +8.2%) and for fruit and fresh vegetables (+4.3% in each case). By contrast, price decreases were observed particularly for edible fats and oils (-19.7%, including butter: -32.9%; olive oil: -12.8%). In addition, markedly lower prices were recorded for some essential food items, such as potatoes (-18.1%) and dairy products (-4.9%), while eggs were again appreciably more expensive (+14.5%).
Inflation rate excluding food and energy at +2.5%
In February 2026, the inflation rate excluding energy stood at +2.3%, after +2.5% in January 2026. The inflation rate excluding food and energy, often referred to as core inflation, was +2.5% in February 2026, as it was in January 2026. Both 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 up 3.2% in February 2026 compared with the same month a year earlier. The price increases observed for services have been higher than overall inflation ever since January 2024. Compared with the previous year, particularly sharp price increases were registered for social protection (+7.0%) and combined passenger transport services (+6.2%). The latter development is due, in particular, to the increase in the price of the Germany ticket at the start of the year. Compared with the previous year, substantial price increases were also observed in February 2026 for the maintenance and repair of vehicles (+5.0%), health insurance services (+4.4%), catering services in restaurants, cafés and the like (+3.4%) and water supply and miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling (+3.3%). Net rents exclusive of heating expenses (+2.1%) continued to be a significant factor contributing to the overall development of prices in February 2026. Only a few services cost less than in the same month a year earlier, including telecommunications services (-0.2%).
Goods prices up 0.8% on February 2025
The prices of goods (total) increased by 0.8% in February 2026 compared with the same month a year earlier. Non-durable consumer goods cost 0.8% more and the prices of durable consumer goods rose by 0.6%. In addition to food (+1.1%), other products were markedly more expensive, in particular non-alcoholic beverages (+5.3%, including coffee, tea and cocoa: +16.7%) and tobacco products (+4.7%). Lower prices were recorded for energy (-1.9%) and also for major household appliances (-3.1%), for example.
Prices (total) up 0.2% month on month
Compared with January 2026, the consumer price index rose by 0.2% in February 2026. Month-on-month price increases were observed for food (+0.1%, including fresh vegetables: +2.7%) and for energy (+0.2%). In the area of services, administrative fees, for example, rose by 6.9% on the previous month, mainly because of adjusted fees for identity cards. Higher prices were also registered for package holidays (+6.7%) mainly due to seasonal factors.
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.
With effect from January 2026, substantial changes have been made to the HICP with regard to methodology and the classification used. Furthermore, the HICP result uses 2025 as the index base (2025=100) for the first time from reference month January 2026 onwards. 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 and a methodological paper 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 | 123.1 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Food and non-alcoholic-beverages | 119.04 | 137.8 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
| Food | 104.69 | 137.4 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Non-alcoholic beverages | 14.35 | 141.1 | 5.3 | -0.1 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 35.26 | 128.6 | 3.4 | 0.1 |
| Clothing and footwear | 42.25 | 108.2 | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 259.25 | 118.1 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Actual net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 68.30 | 111.6 | 2.3 | 0.2 |
| Imputed net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 104.13 | 110.3 | 2.0 | 0.1 |
| Household energy | 43.44 | 142.6 | -3.5 | -0.4 |
| Electricity | 24.50 | 119.6 | -4.1 | -1.0 |
| Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment | 67.78 | 118.0 | 0.3 | -0.2 |
| Health | 55.49 | 112.5 | 2.0 | 0.3 |
| Transport | 138.22 | 129.6 | 2.3 | 0.5 |
| Motor fuels | 30.46 | 143.7 | 0.3 | 1.1 |
| Communication | 23.35 | 99.1 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Recreation and culture | 104.23 | 116.7 | 1.4 | 0.7 |
| Package holidays | 13.22 | 126.2 | 3.6 | 6.7 |
| Education | 9.06 | 123.9 | 4.6 | 0.1 |
| Restaurant and accommodation services | 47.20 | 133.5 | 3.2 | 0.4 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 98.87 | 130.6 | 4.7 | 0.3 |
| Social protection | 27.75 | 140.7 | 7.0 | 0.9 |
| Insurance services | 22.56 | 132.2 | 4.3 | -0.9 |
| Overall index, excluding food and energy 1 | 821.41 | 119.5 | 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 February 2026 (available on Eurostat’s website under News > Euro indicators).
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.
