Press release No. 334 of 13 July 2021
Consumer price index, June 2021
+2.3% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.4% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
Harmonised index of consumer prices, June 2021
+2.1% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.4% 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 +2.3% in June 2021. Following a continuous rise observed since the beginning of the year, the inflation rate has slightly slowed (May 2021: +2.5%). The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that consumer prices were up 0.4% on May 2021.
Substantial increase in energy prices of 9.4% again, compared with a year earlier
The prices of goods (total) increased by 3.1% between June 2020 and June 2021, which was above average. Energy product prices (+9.4%) continued to be considerably higher than the overall inflation rate, after +10.0% in May 2021. In addition to the current rise in energy prices, the increasing inflation rate was also attributable to temporary special effects, in particular the CO2 charge introduced at the beginning of the year and the low energy product prices recorded a year earlier (base effect). At that time, the prices of mineral oil products were especially low. A year-on-year price increase was therefore recorded especially for heating oil (+42.5%) and motor fuels (+23.5%). Electricity prices remained unchanged.
Below-average increase in food prices (+1.2%) on June 2020
The prices of food were up a below-average 1.2% in June 2021 compared with the same month a year earlier, following 1.5% in May 2021. The prices of fresh vegetables were down on a year earlier (-2.3%). Moderate price increases were observed for most food groups, for instance meat and meat products (+0.6%). Prices of edible fats and oils rose markedly (+5.6%). Prices increased also for clothing (+3.6%) and vehicles (+3.1%). Prices were slightly down, among other things, for mobile phones (-5.8%).
Inflation rate excluding energy at +1.6%
The year-on-year increases in energy product prices had a clear upward effect on the inflation rate. Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate would have been +1.6% in June 2021; excluding the prices of heating oil and motor fuels, it would have been only +1.5%.
Service prices up 1.6% year on year
The prices of services (total) increased by 1.6% in June 2021 compared with the same month a year earlier. Net rents exclusive of heating expenses, which are important as they account for a large part of household final consumption expenditure, rose by 1.4%. Price increases were also recorded for games of chance (+15.1%), services of social facilities (+5.5%) and maintenance and repair of vehicles (+3.7%). Lower prices were observed, for example, for rail tickets (-3.4%) and telecommunication services (-1.1%).
Prices up 0.4% on the previous month
Compared with May 2021, the consumer price index rose by 0.4% in June 2021. Energy product prices were up 0.8%, especially the prices of heating oil (+3.3%) and motor fuels (+1.7%). In contrast, the prices of food went down slightly (-0.4%). Consumers had to pay less, in particular, for fresh vegetables (-5.4%) than in the previous month.
Methodological note:
The situation of price collection caused by the corona crisis was getting less tense in June 2021 as the shop-based retail business and food service and accommodation establishments were largely reopened or could offer their services again. For information on the consequences of the lockdown for price collection please refer to our methodological paper (only in german). The quality of the results of consumer price statistics remains unaffected.
The consumer price index results are also available on the Corona Statistics webpage of the Federal Statistical Office together with other indicators which can be used to assess the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
For more background information and analyses regarding the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic for price development please refer to our “StatGespräch” podcast on inflation (in German). Here we shed light on the role of base effects and the future of price collection.
Crisis Monitor enables comparison between corona crisis and financial and economic crisis
The consumer price index also forms part of the Crisis Monitor (www.destatis.de/krisenmonitor), by means of which the Federal Statistical Office compares the development of major short-term indicators in the corona crisis and the financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009. The Crisis Monitor complements the Corona statistics webpage (www.destatis.de/corona), which provides statistical information on the economic and social consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
| 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. ( ) Limited informational value due to somewhat limited statistical reliability as imputation rates are high (over 50%). | ||||
| Overall index | 1,000.00 | 109.1 | 2.3 | 0.4 |
| Food and non-alcoholic-beverages | 96.85 | 113.0 | 1.3 | -0.2 |
| Food | 84.87 | 113.7 | 1.2 | -0.4 |
| Meat and meat products | 18.60 | 116.7 | 0.6 | -0.4 |
| Fruit | 8.88 | 117.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Vegetables | 11.08 | 113.4 | -0.4 | -3.9 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 37.77 | 117.1 | 1.6 | 0.3 |
| Clothing and footwear | 45.34 | 105.1 | 2.6 | 0.5 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 324.70 | 107.6 | 1.7 | 0.1 |
| Net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 196.32 | 108.5 | 1.4 | 0.1 |
| Household energy | 68.82 | 103.5 | 2.9 | 0.4 |
| Electricity | 25.92 | 111.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Gas 1 | 13.53 | 99.4 | 2.4 | 0.1 |
| Heating oil 1 | 7.01 | 116.6 | 42.5 | 3.3 |
| Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment | 50.04 | 104.6 | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| Health | 46.13 | 105.7 | -0.3 | -0.1 |
| Transport | 129.05 | 112.6 | 8.0 | 0.7 |
| Motor fuels | 35.01 | 113.6 | 23.5 | 1.7 |
| Supergrade petrol | 25.66 | 112.2 | 23.0 | 1.5 |
| Diesel fuel | 8.64 | 117.6 | 25.1 | 2.2 |
| Communication | 26.72 | 94.2 | -1.3 | 0.0 |
| Recreation and culture | 113.36 | 108.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Package holidays | 26.62 | 109.2 | (-5.0) | (5.0) |
| Education | 9.02 | 104.3 | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Restaurant and accommodation services | 46.77 | 115.3 | 2.8 | (1.6) |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 74.25 | 111.3 | 2.6 | 0.2 |
| Overall index | ||||
| Excluding food and energy | 811.30 | 108.9 | 1.7 | 0.4 |
| Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels) | 896.17 | 109.3 | 1.6 | 0.3 |
| Excluding heating oil and motor fuels | 957.98 | 108.9 | 1.5 | 0.4 |
| Goods | 468.16 | 108.3 | 3.1 | 0.2 |
| Non-durable consumer goods | 297.54 | 110.6 | 4.0 | 0.2 |
| Energy | 103.83 | 106.9 | 9.4 | 0.8 |
| Services | 531.84 | 109.7 | 1.6 | 0.5 |
More information on consumer price statistics is contained in Fachserie 17, Reihe 7 "Verbraucherpreise für Deutschland". Detailed data of consumer price statistics can be found in the tables on the consumer price index (61111-0004) and (61111-0006) and on the harmonised index of consumer prices (61121-0002) and (61121-0004) in the GENESIS-Online database.
