Press release No. 169 of 20 May 2026

Producer prices of industrial products (domestic sales), April 2026
+1.7% on the same month a year earlier
+1.2% on the previous month

WIESBADEN – The producer prices of industrial products were 1.7% higher in April 2026 than in April 2025. A larger year-on-year increase was last recorded in May 2023 (+2.5%). The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that producer prices in April 2026 were up 1.2% on March 2026.

 

The increase in producer prices compared with the same month of the previous year is primarily due to higher prices of intermediate goods. The prices of energy were also up year on year.

Capital goods and durable consumer goods were also more expensive than a year earlier, while non-durable consumer goods were less expensive than in April 2025. When energy prices are excluded, producer prices in April 2026 rose by 1.6% on the same month of the previous year and by 0.7% compared with March 2026.

Increase in energy prices mainly due to mineral oil products

In April 2026, energy was 2.0% more expensive than in the same month of the previous year. Compared with March 2026, energy prices were up 2.4%. A particularly sharp increase in mineral oil prices was registered in April 2026 (+35.5% on April 2025 and +10.7% on March 2026) as a result of the ongoing conflict in Iran and the Middle East. By contrast, year-on-year price decreases were even recorded in the case of natural gas and electricity, due also to the persistently high price level since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Among mineral oil products, heating oil cost 57.6% more than in the April 2025, but 1.6% less than in March 2026. Naphtha cost 47.4% more than a year earlier and was 19.9% more expensive than in March 2026. Motor fuel prices were up 34.0% on the previous year and increased by 2.2% on March 2026.

Across all consumer groups, natural gas (distribution) cost 3.1% less than in the same month a year earlier but was 1.6% more expensive than in March 2026. Electricity prices declined by 4.7% compared with April 2025 and were down 2.2% on March 2026. District heating was less expensive (-0.6%) than in the same month of the previous year.

Price increases for capital goods and durable consumer goods, price reductions for non-durable consumer goods

Capital goods prices in April 2026 were up 2.0% year on year (+0.3% compared with March 2026). Machinery cost 1.9% more and the prices of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers increased by 1.3% compared with April 2025.

Durable consumer goods cost 1.9% more in April 2026 than in the same month a year earlier (+0.2% compared with March 2026).

By contrast, non-durable consumer goods produced and sold in Germany were 1.0% less expensive than in the same month a year earlier but cost 0.2% more than in March 2026. In the non-durable consumer goods category, food prices (total) dropped by 2.5%, and were up 0.2% compared with March 2026. Significantly lower prices than in April 2025 were recorded for butter (-38.8%) and pork (-11.0%). Pork prices were up 3.0% on March 2026. Beef was 9.0% more expensive than in the same month of the previous year.

Price increases also observed for intermediate goods

Intermediate goods prices in April 2026 were up 2.6% year on year (+1.2% compared with March 2026).

The price increase compared with April 2025 was mainly attributable to higher metal prices (+9.1%). The prices of precious metals (+63.6%), in particular, increased substantially compared with the same month of the previous year, but were down 5.9% from March 2026. Copper and semi-finished copper products cost 20.9% more than a year earlier. By contrast, basic iron, steel and ferro-alloys (-0.9%) were less expensive than a year earlier, but reinforcing steel cost 0.1% more.

Wood and products of wood and cork (+5.4%) also cost more than in the same month of the previous year, including coniferous timber (+8.7%) and non-coniferous timber (+2.9%). Substantial year-on-year price increases were recorded for pellets, briquettes and logs (+25.9%), but prices were down 3.2% compared with March 2026.

The prices of basic chemicals were up 3.2% year on year, increasing by 5.2% on March 2026 alone. Fertilisers were 8.4% more expensive than a year earlier and 5.5% more expensive than in March 2026.

The prices of glass and glass products were up 3.3% year on year. Compared with April 2025, higher prices were registered for shaped and processed flat glass (+6.5%), while hollow glass cost less (-1.7%).

Compared with April 2025, lower prices were also recorded for paper and paper products, with these products costing 1.7% less than in the same month a year earlier. Prepared feeds for farm animals (-6.1%) and cereal flours (-4.0%) also cost considerably less than in April 2025.

Methodological notes:

The producer price index for industrial products measures the development of prices for products produced and sold in Germany by the mining and quarrying, manufacturing, and energy and water supply sectors. All charges and taxes on goods are included, except value-added tax. The index therefore reflects price developments at an early stage of the economic process. The 15th of each reference month is the survey reference date. The current base year of the producer price index for industrial products is 2021. The basket of goods and the index weighting refer to this base year.

More information:

The statistical report (only in German) on producer price indices for industrial products (domestic sales) also includes the latest results. Long time series for the overall index are also available in the table on producer price indices for industrial products (61241-0002) and for sub-indices in the table on producer price indices for industrial products (61241-0004) in the GENESIS-Online database.

Information on CO₂ pricing under the Fuel Emission Allowance Trading Act is provided on the “Producer price index for industrial products” page.

Producer prices of industrial products can also be found on the "Economic Dashboard" (www.dashboard-konjunktur.de) (only in German). In this data portal, the Federal Statistical Office brings together high-frequency indicators from official statistics producers and other data providers on the topics of the economy, finance, the labour market, construction and energy.