Press release No. 197 of 10 June 2016
WIESBADEN – Consumer prices in Germany were 0.1% higher in May 2016 compared with May 2015. Although the inflation rate as measured by the consumer price index has slightly increased - following a small decrease in the previous month (April 2016: −0.1%) - it remains on a low level. Compared with April 2016, the consumer price index rose by 0.3% in May 2016. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) thus confirms its provisional overall results of 30 May 2016.
The development of energy prices (−7.9%) had a downward effect on the overall rise in prices in May 2016, as had been the case in the preceding months. The year-on-year price decrease, however, slightly slowed for the third consecutive month. In May 2016, the price decrease among energy products was largest for mineral oil products (−14.9%, of which heating oil: −25.0%, motor fuels: −12.0%). The prices of other energy products were down, too (for example, charges for central and district heating: −9.2%; gas: −2.6%). Only the electricity prices were higher than in the same month of the previous year (+0.9%). Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate in May 2016 would have been +1.2%.
Food prices in May 2016 remained unchanged on the same month a year earlier and thus - contrary to the previous months - no longer had an upward effect on the overall inflation rate. In April 2016, the rate of food price increase had been +0.5%. In May 2016, prices increased on a year earlier especially for fruit (+1.8%) and vegetables (+2.8%) as well as fish and fish products (+3.3%). Prices were markedly down for dairy products (−6.2%, including curd: −13.1%; UHT milk: −9.4%). The decline in prices of edible fats and oils (−5.9%) is mainly due to the currently decreasing butter prices (butter: −15.2% on May 2015).
The prices of goods (total) fell by 0.9% in May 2016 compared with May 2015, the main reason being the decrease in energy prices. Other price decreases noticeable for consumers were recorded for coffee, tea and cocoa (−4.2%, including unground coffee: −6.7%). Some goods were markedly more expensive than a year earlier, for instance, pharmaceutical products (+2.8%), newspapers and periodicals (+4.2%) and tobacco products (+5.0%).
Contrary to the decrease in goods prices, the prices of services (total) were up 1.2% in May 2016 on May 2015. This development was mainly due to the moderate movement of net rents exclusive of heating expenses (+1.1%), on which households spend roughly a fifth of their consumption expenditure. Also, prices rose more markedly on a year earlier for some services, such as recreational and sporting services (+3.1%), insurance services (+2.4%) and maintenance and repair of vehicles (+2.3%). Prices were down for a few services such as package holidays (−1.2%) and telecommunications services (−1.6%).
Change in May 2016 on April 2016
Compared with April 2016, the consumer price index rose by 0.3% in May 2016. A major reason for the price increase was the development of energy prices (+1.6%). Compared with a month earlier, prices were markedly up both for heating oil (+9.0%) and motor fuels (+3.3%, including supergrade petrol: +2.8%, diesel fuel: +5.1%). Prices were also up, for instance, for gardens, plants and flowers (+2.2%, including cut flowers: +5.0%; fruit trees, flower bulbs and the like: +1.5%).
Food prices (total) fell 0.5% in May 2016 compared with the previous month. Price decreases were recorded here especially for edible fats and oils (−1.0%, including butter: −3.1%) and dairy products (−3.9%, including UHT milk: −10.2%; fresh milk: −9.2%). Slight month-on-month price decreases were also observed for clothing (−1.3%) and footwear (−0.3%).
| 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 May cannot be interpreted as a pure price movement. | ||||
| Overall index | 1,000.00 | 107.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 102.71 | 113.1 | 0.0 | –0.5 |
| Food | 90.52 | 113.2 | 0.0 | –0.5 |
| Meat | 20.76 | 113.1 | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Fruit | 8.76 | 128.4 | 1.8 | 2.5 |
| Vegetables | 11.26 | 111.8 | 2.8 | –3.0 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 37.59 | 116.0 | 3.0 | 0.4 |
| Clothing and footwear | 44.93 | 109.1 | 2.1 | –1.0 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 317.29 | 107.8 | –0.5 | 0.3 |
| Net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 209.93 | 107.7 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Household energy | 68.19 | 108.2 | –5.7 | 0.8 |
| Electricity | 26.21 | 125.9 | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| Gas | 14.46 | 107.3 | –2.6 | –0.1 |
| Heating oil | 11.11 | 75.3 | –25.0 | 9.0 |
| Furnishings, household equipment and so on | 49.78 | 104.1 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Health | 44.44 | 105.0 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Transport | 134.73 | 104.7 | –2.3 | 0.9 |
| Motor fuels | 38.37 | 91.3 | –12.0 | 3.3 |
| Supergrade petrol | 28.38 | 92.6 | –11.4 | 2.8 |
| Diesel fuel | 9.19 | 87.8 | –14.2 | 5.1 |
| Communication | 30.10 | 90.3 | –1.1 | – 0.3 |
| Recreation and culture | 114.92 | 104.1 | 1.1 | 2.1 |
| Package holidays | 26.83 | 98.9 | –1.2 | 10.0a |
| Education | 8.80 | 94.3 | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| Restaurants and hotels | 44.67 | 113.2 | 2.1 | 0.4 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 70.04 | 109.2 | 1.5 | 0.3 |
| Overall index | ||||
| Excluding heating oil and motor fuels | 950.52 | 108.3 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Excluding household energy | 931.81 | 107.2 | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels) | 893.44 | 107.9 | 1.2 | 0.3 |
| Goods | 479.77 | 106.9 | –0.9 | 0.2 |
| Non-durable consumer goods | 307.89 | 109.0 | –2.1 | 0.5 |
| Energy | 106.56 | 102.1 | –7.9 | 1.6 |
| Services | 520.23 | 107.6 | 1.2 | 0.6 |
| 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 | 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 | |
| May | 107.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | |
Harmonised index of consumer prices for Germany
The harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) for Germany, which is calculated for European purposes, remained unchanged in May 2016 on May 2015. Compared with April 2016, the index rose by 0.4% in May 2016. This confirmed the HICP estimates of 30 May 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).