Press release No. 043 of 13 February 2020
Consumer price index, January 2020
+1.7% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
-0.6% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
Harmonised index of consumer prices, January 2020
+1.6% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
-0.8% 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, stood at 1.7% in January 2020. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that consumer prices decreased by 0.6% compared with December 2019.
Prices of goods (total) higher due to increases in energy product prices
The prices of goods (total) were up 2.0% in January 2020 from January 2019. There was a price increase especially for energy products (+3.4%) after their prices had fallen slightly in December 2019 (-0.1%). In January 2020, higher prices than a year earlier were recorded in particular for motor fuels (+5.2%) and electricity (+3.9%). The rise in food prices was also above average (+2.3%). Markedly higher prices were observed for meat (+6.2%) and fruit (+6.0%). As regards goods, there were considerable price rises also for newspapers and periodicals (+5.3%) and tobacco products (+4.4%).
Inflation rate excluding energy at +1.5%
Excluding energy prices, the rate of inflation would have been 1.5% in January 2020.
Below-average price increases for services (total) year on year
The prices of services (total) increased by 1.5% in January 2020 on January 2019. Higher prices for the services of car repair shops (+4.7%) and social facilities (+4.3%) should be mentioned here. Net rents exclusive of heating expenses, which are important as they account for large part of household final consumption expenditure, rose by 1.4%.
Considerable price decreases on the previous month for package holidays, rail transport and clothing
Compared with December 2019, the consumer price index fell by 0.6% in January 2020. This was due to seasonal price decreases for package holidays (-28.7%), clothing (-6.3%) and footwear (-4.0%) and to the fact that there has been a lower value added tax rate for long-distance rail tickets since 1 January 2020, which reduced the prices of long-distance train journeys by 10%.
| Overall index / subindex | Weighting | Index 2015 = 100 | Change on the same period a year earlier | Change on the preceding month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in per mill | in per cent | |||
| 1: Results do not include charges. | ||||
| Overall index | 1,000.00 | 105.2 | 1.7 | -0.6 |
| Food and non-alcoholic-beverages | 96.85 | 109.2 | 2.4 | 1.0 |
| Food | 84.87 | 109.7 | 2.3 | 0.8 |
| Meat | 18.60 | 111.6 | 6.2 | 0.9 |
| Fruit | 8.88 | 111.3 | 6.0 | 1.6 |
| Vegetables | 11.08 | 111.1 | -0.8 | 1.6 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 37.77 | 111.9 | 2.8 | 0.4 |
| Clothing and footwear | 45.34 | 99.9 | 1.9 | -5.4 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 324.70 | 106.0 | 1.8 | 0.5 |
| Net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 196.32 | 106.4 | 1.4 | 0.1 |
| Household energy | 68.82 | 103.7 | 2.5 | 0.9 |
| Electricity | 25.92 | 109.6 | 3.9 | 1.9 |
| Gas 1 | 13.53 | 97.0 | 2.5 | 0.2 |
| Heating oil 1 | 7.01 | 112.9 | -0.8 | 0.2 |
| Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment | 50.04 | 103.3 | 1.1 | -0.1 |
| Health | 46.13 | 105.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 |
| Transport | 129.05 | 107.2 | 2.7 | 0.3 |
| Motor fuels | 35.01 | 105.1 | 5.2 | 2.1 |
| Supergrade petrol | 25.66 | 102.6 | 5.0 | 1.4 |
| Diesel fuel | 8.64 | 112.8 | 6.1 | 4.3 |
| Communication | 26.72 | 95.9 | -0.3 | 0.1 |
| Recreation and culture | 113.36 | 96.8 | 0.0 | -6.4 |
| Package holidays | 26.62 | 72.4 | -2.0 | -28.7 |
| Education | 9.02 | 102.0 | -2.3 | -0.3 |
| Restaurant and accommodation services | 46.77 | 110.5 | 2.7 | 0.3 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 74.25 | 106.9 | 2.0 | 0.1 |
| Overall index | ||||
| Excluding food and energy | 811.30 | 104.8 | 1.5 | -1.0 |
| Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels) | 896.17 | 105.3 | 1.5 | -0.8 |
| Excluding heating oil and motor fuels | 957.98 | 105.1 | 1.6 | -0.8 |
| Goods | 468.16 | 105.3 | 2.0 | 0.1 |
| Non-durable consumer goods | 297.54 | 107.2 | 2.7 | 0.9 |
| Energy | 103.83 | 104.2 | 3.4 | 1.4 |
| Services | 531.84 | 105.1 | 1.5 | -1.1 |
More information on consumer price statistics is provided by Fachserie 17, Reihe 7.
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).
