Press release No. 163 of 13 May 2016
WIESBADEN – Consumer prices in Germany fell by 0.1% in April 2016 compared with April 2015. The inflation rate – measured by the consumer price index – thus decreased, following a slight increase in the previous month. A negative rate had last been recorded in January 2015 (–0.3%). Compared with March 2016, the consumer price index fell by 0.4% in April. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) thus confirms its corrected provisional overall results of 29 April 2016.
A downward effect on overall inflation in April 2016 was exerted mainly by the price development of mineral oil products (–16.3%, of which heating oil: −28.6%; motor fuels: −12.9%), as had been the case in the previous months. The prices of other energy products, too, were markedly down on a year earlier (for example, charges for central and district heating: −9.3%; solid fuels: –3.8%). Only electricity prices were slightly up on the same month a year earlier (+0.8%). The prices of energy (total) were down 8.5% in the same period. Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate in April 2016 would have been +0.9%.
The fact that Easter fell early this year (2016: in late March, 2015: in early April) also had a downward effect on prices in April 2016. Due to the calendar effect, prices were down especially for package holidays (–8.8%, including those to foreign destinations: –9.7%) in a year-on-year comparison. Also, the increase in food prices (+0.5%) has slowed in April 2016 (March 2016: +1.3%). This applied, among other things, to vegetables (+5.1%), fruit (+2.4%) and fish and fish products (+3.3%). Marked price decreases were observed for edible fats and oils (–6.9%, including butter: –14.4%). Consumers paid less than a year earlier also for dairy products (–4.0%, including sliced cheese: –9.7%; cream: –7.6%).
The prices of goods (total) fell by 1.0% in April 2016 compared with April 2015, the main reason being the decrease in energy prices. Other price decreases were recorded for coffee, tea and cocoa (−3.3%) and articles and products for personal care (−2.1%). Prices were considerably up for some goods, for example, jewellery, clocks and watches (+4.8%) and tobacco products (+4.3%).
Contrary to the decrease in goods prices, the prices of services (total) were up 0.8% on April 2015. Net rents exclusive of heating expenses rose moderately by 1.0% on a year earlier. Larger price increases were observed, among other things, for services of social facilities (+3.6%), recreational and sporting services (+2.8%), transport association tickets (+2.6%) and insurance services (+2.6%). A downward effect on the price movement for services was exerted not only by the prices of package holidays (–8.8%) but also by the prices of air tickets (−2.6%) and telecommunications services (−1.6%).
Change in April 2016 on March 2016
Compared with March 2016, the consumer price index fell 0.4% in April 2016. Diverging month-on-month price movements were observed. The decrease in services prices (–1.2%) was partly offset by the price increase for goods (+0.6%).
Also, there were marked differences within product groups. For example, prices of heating oil in April 2016 were down again on the previous month (–1.0%), whereas the prices of motor fuels were up in the same period (+3.0%). As regards food, considerable price decreases were recorded for strawberries, raspberries and other berries (–10.6%), whereas the prices of carrots, pulses, asparagus and the like were up (+4.7%).
| Overall index / subindex | Weighting | Index 2010 = 100 | Change on the previous year | Change on the previous month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in per mill | in per cent | |||
| a Due to the changeover to other destinations, the rate of change on the previous month in reference month April cannot be interpreted as a pure price movement. | ||||
| Overall index | 1,000.00 | 106.9 | –0.1 | –0.4 |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 102.71 | 113.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Food | 90.52 | 113.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| Meat | 20.76 | 112.5 | 0.0 | –0.4 |
| Fruit | 8.76 | 125.3 | 2.4 | –1.0 |
| Vegetables | 11.26 | 115.3 | 5.1 | 2.0 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 37.59 | 115.5 | 2.6 | 0.8 |
| Clothing and footwear | 44.93 | 110.2 | 1.0 | 1.8 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 317.29 | 107.5 | –0.6 | 0.0 |
| Net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 209.93 | 107.6 | 1.0 | 0.1 |
| Household energy | 68.19 | 107.3 | –6.3 | –0.1 |
| Electricity | 26.21 | 125.9 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Gas | 14.46 | 107.4 | –2.6 | –0.2 |
| Heating oil | 11.11 | 69.1 | –28.6 | –1.0 |
| Furnishings, household equipment and so on | 49.78 | 104.0 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Health | 44.44 | 104.8 | 1.6 | 0.1 |
| Transport | 134.73 | 103.8 | –2.5 | 0.8 |
| Motor fuels | 38.37 | 88.4 | –12.9 | 3.0 |
| Supergrade petrol | 28.38 | 90.1 | –11.8 | 4.2 |
| Diesel fuel | 9.19 | 83.5 | –16.4 | –0.2 |
| Communication | 30.10 | 90.6 | –1.0 | –0.1 |
| Recreation and culture | 114.92 | 102.0 | –0.6 | –5.7 |
| Package holidays | 26.83 | 89.9 | –8.8 | –23.6a |
| Education | 8.80 | 94.3 | 1.8 | 0.1 |
| Restaurants and hotels | 44.67 | 112.8 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 70.04 | 108.9 | 1.5 | 0.4 |
| Overall index | ||||
| Excluding heating oil and motor fuels | 950.52 | 108.1 | 0.7 | –0.5 |
| Excluding household energy | 931.81 | 106.8 | 0.4 | –0.4 |
| Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels) | 893.44 | 107.6 | 0.9 | –0.6 |
| Goods | 479.77 | 106.7 | –1.0 | 0.6 |
| Non-durable consumer goods | 307.89 | 108.5 | –2.2 | 0.5 |
| including: | ||||
| Energy | 106.56 | 100.5 | –8.5 | 0.9 |
| Services | 520.23 | 107.0 | 0.8 | –1.2 |
| Overall index ________ Year / Month | Index 2010 = 100 | Change on the previous year | Change on the previous month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in % | ||||
| A = annual average –= no figures or magnitude zero | ||||
| 2014 A | 106.6 | 0.9 | − | |
| 2015 A | 106.9 | 0.3 | − | |
2015 | April | 107.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| May | 107.1 | 0.7 | 0.1 | |
| June | 107.0 | 0.3 | –0.1 | |
| July | 107.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | |
| August | 107.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |
| September | 107.0 | 0.0 | –0.2 | |
| October | 107.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |
| November | 107.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | |
| December | 107.0 | 0.3 | –0.1 | |
| 2016 | January | 106.1 | 0.5 | –0.8 |
| February | 106.5 | 0.0 | 0.4 | |
| March | 107.3 | 0.3 | 0.8 | |
| April | 106.9 | –0.1 | –0.4 | |
Harmonised index of consumer prices for Germany
The harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) for Germany, which is calculated for European purposes, fell by 0.3% in April 2016 on April 2015. The index was down 0.5% in April 2016 on March 2016. This confirmed the corrected HICP estimates of 29 April 2016.
Detailed data and long time series of consumer price statistics can also be found in the Genesis Online database in tables 61111-0004 and 61111-0006 (consumer price index) as well as in tables 61121-0002 and 61121-0004 (harmonised consumer price index).