Press release No. 218 of 30 May 2022
Import prices, April 2022
+31.7% on the same month a year earlier
+1.8% on the previous month
Export prices, April 2022
+16.0% on the same month a year earlier
+0.8% on the previous month
WIESBADEN – Import prices were 31.7% higher in April 2022 compared with April 2021. A higher change on the previous year had last been recorded in September 1974 during the first oil crisis (+32.6% from September 1973). The year-on-year rate of change had been +31.2% in March 2022 and +26.3% in February 2022, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Compared with March 2022, import prices were up 1.8% in April 2022.
High price increase mainly caused by the development of energy prices
In April 2022 energy imports were 157.4% more expensive than in April 2021. The largest influence on the year-on-year rate of the energy price increase had natural gas with a plus of 301.2%, followed by crude oil with a plus of 77.5%.
The index of import prices, excluding crude oil and mineral oil products, increased by 27.6% in April 2022 compared with April 2021 and rose by 2.3% in comparison with March 2022.
Change of export prices in April 2022
The index of export prices was 16.0% higher in April 2022 than in April 2021. A greater change on the previous year had last been recorded in November 1974 during the first oil crisis (+16.8% from November 1973). In March 2022 and February 2022, the year-on-year rate of change had been +15.9% and +12.4%, respectively. Compared with March 2022, export prices were up 0.8% in April 2022.
The import prices form 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 Covid-19 crisis and the financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009. Import prices are also provided on the Corona statistics webpage (www.destatis.de/corona) together with other indicators that can be used to assess the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
More detailed data and long time series are available in tables Index of import prices (61411-0002 and 61411-0006) and Index of export prices (61421-0002 and 61421-0006) in the GENESIS-Online database.
