Press release No. 091 of 13 March 2020
Consumer price index, February 2020
+1.7% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.4% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
Harmonised index of consumer prices, February 2020
+1.7% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.6% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
WIESBADEN − The inflation rate in Germany, he year-on-year change in the consumer price index, stood at 1.7% in February 2020. The inflation rate thus remained unchanged (January 2020: +1.7%). The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that consumer prices rose by 0.4% compared with January 2020.
Prices of goods up on a year earlier - food prices rose 3.3%
The prices of goods (total) were up 1.8% in February 2020 on the same month a year earlier. Especially food prices increased above average (+3.3%). Marked price increases were recorded for fruit (+9.0%) as well as meat and meat products (+8.0%). The increase in meat prices was also observed at upstream stages of the economic process. As regards food, prices of edible fats and oils were down (-6.5%). Energy products prices rose by 2.0% compared with the previous year. Prices were up for electricity (+4.4%) and motor fuels (+3.0%), whereas they were considerably down for heating oil (-10.1%). Other notable, though less marked price rises were observed for tobacco products (+4.3%) and printed matter (+3.6%).
Inflation rate excluding energy and food at 1.5%
The price development of food and energy had an upward effect on the inflation rate in February 2020. Excluding food and energy prices, the inflation rate would have been +1.5% in February 2020.
Service prices up 1.6% year on year
Prices of services (total) rose by +1.6% in February 2020 on a year earlier; this price increase was slightly smaller than that recorded for goods. Net rents exclusive of heating expenses, which are important as they account for a large part of household final consumption expenditure, rose by 1.5%. Above-average price increases were observed, for example, for services of social facilities (+4.4%) and for the maintenance and repair of vehicles (+3.8%). The price developments in education (-2.3%) and telecommunication (-0.5%) had a slight downward effect on the inflation rate.
Seasonal price increase on previous month , but price decrease for heating oil
Compared with January 2020, the consumer price index rose by 0.4% in February 2020. Seasonal price rises, for example, for package holidays (+15.5%) and clothing (+2.7%) should be mentioned here. Energy prices were down 1.2%, with heating oil prices falling considerably (-8.3%).
| 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 | 105.6 | 1.7 | 0.4 |
| Food and non-alcoholic-beverages | 96.85 | 110.5 | 3.1 | 1.2 |
| Food | 84.87 | 111.3 | 3.3 | 1.5 |
| Meat | 18.60 | 113.6 | 8.0 | 1.8 |
| Fruit | 8.88 | 114.2 | 9.0 | 2.6 |
| Vegetables | 11.08 | 116.7 | 0.6 | 5.0 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 37.77 | 111.9 | 2.7 | 0.0 |
| Clothing and footwear | 45.34 | 101.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 324.70 | 105.9 | 1.5 | -0.1 |
| Net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 196.32 | 106.6 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Household energy | 68.82 | 103.1 | 1.5 | -0.6 |
| Electricity | 25.92 | 110.7 | 4.4 | 1.0 |
| Gas 1 | 13.53 | 97.1 | 2.4 | 0.1 |
| Heating oil 1 | 7.01 | 103.5 | -10.1 | -8.3 |
| Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment | 50.04 | 103.2 | 1.0 | -0.1 |
| Health | 46.13 | 105.6 | 1.4 | 0.3 |
| Transport | 129.05 | 106.7 | 2.1 | -0.5 |
| Motor fuels | 35.01 | 102.7 | 3.0 | -2.3 |
| Supergrade petrol | 25.66 | 101.3 | 4.4 | -1.3 |
| Diesel fuel | 8.64 | 107.1 | -0.3 | -5.1 |
| Communication | 26.72 | 95.9 | -0.4 | 0.0 |
| Recreation and culture | 113.36 | 99.4 | 0.8 | 2.7 |
| Package holidays | 26.62 | 83.6 | 2.2 | 15.5 |
| Education | 9.02 | 102.0 | -2.3 | 0.0 |
| Restaurant and accommodation services | 46.77 | 110.9 | 2.8 | 0.4 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 74.25 | 107.2 | 2.0 | 0.3 |
| Overall index | ||||
| Excluding food and energy | 811.30 | 105.4 | 1.5 | 0.6 |
| Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels) | 896.17 | 105.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 |
| Excluding heating oil and motor fuels | 957.98 | 105.8 | 1.8 | 0.7 |
| Goods | 468.16 | 105.5 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
| Non-durable consumer goods | 297.54 | 107.3 | 2.4 | 0.1 |
| Energy | 103.83 | 103.0 | 2.0 | -1.2 |
| Services | 531.84 | 105.8 | 1.6 | 0.7 |
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).
