Press release No. 405 of 11 October 2023
Consumer price index, September 2023
+4.5% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.3% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
Harmonised index of consumer prices, September 2023
+4.3% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.2% 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 (CPI), stood at +4.5% in September 2023. In both August and July 2023, the inflation rate stood at over 6% (+6.1% and +6.2%, respectively). "The rate of inflation has dropped to the lowest level since the start of the war in Ukraine. It remains high, however", says Ruth Brand, President of the Federal Statistical Office. She adds: "Consumers are still clearly feeling the higher food prices". The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that consumer prices in September 2023 rose by 0.3% on August 2023.
Below-average increase in the price of energy products (+1.0%)
Energy product prices in September 2023 were 1.0% higher than in the same month a year earlier, following an increase of +8.3% in August 2023. The much lower price increase is primarily due to the rise in prices in the previous year (base effect), even though different price developments were observed: in September 2023, electricity was still markedly more expensive (+11.1%) than a year earlier. By contrast, only marginal price increases were reported for district heating (+0.3%). In the case of some energy products, the prices in September 2023 were even lower than a year before (e.g. natural gas: -5.3%; motor fuels: -6.0%). A particular decline was recorded in the price of heating oil (-26.0%).
Food prices remain driver of inflation: +7.5% from September 2022
Food prices were up 7.5% in September 2023 compared with the same month a year earlier. While the surge in food prices therefore continued to slow (August 2023: +9.0%, July 2023: +11.0%), price increases in many food groups still remained markedly higher than overall inflation. In particular, consumers had to pay much more for sugar, jam, honey and other confectionery (+15.3%) and for bread and cereals (+12.0%). Fish, fish products and seafood were also significantly more expensive (+9.6%), as were vegetables (+8.4%) and fruit (+7.5%). Edible fats and oils, by contrast, cost 14.2% less than a year earlier, which was mainly due to the sharp drop in the prices of butter (-29.0%) and sunflower oil, rapeseed oil and the like (-16.6%).
Inflation rate excluding food and energy at +4.6%
Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate stood at +5.0% in September 2023. When food and energy prices are excluded, the inflation rate dropped below the 5% mark to a value of +4.6%, however, which demonstrates the significant role food prices play in overall inflation. This rate, which is often referred to as "core inflation", simultaneously demonstrates that inflation also remains high in other product groups. At +5.5%, the consumer price index excluding food and energy was almost one percentage point higher in August 2023, however, as the price increase in September 2023 was weaker, particularly in the case of services.
Service prices up 4.0% year on year, base effect of 9-euro ticket ceases to apply in September 2023
The prices of services (total) were up 4.0% in September 2023 on the same month of the previous year. In August 2023, the price increase was +5.1%. The discontinuation of the 9-euro ticket, which was available from June through August 2022, had a particular base effect here. The Germany ticket, which has been available since May 2023, now has a downward effect on the development of prices in September 2023 without any opposite effects. Short-distance rail tickets were 0.3% more expensive year on year (August 2023: +64.6%). The impact was even more pronounced in the case of combined tickets for rail, bus and the like, as they cost 22.6% less in September 2023 than in the same month of the previous year (August 2023: +113.0%). Net rents exclusive of heating expenses also had a dampening effect (+2.1%) and therefore were a significant contributor to the below-average increase in service prices. However, the prices of a number of other services increased considerably, for instance maintenance and repair of dwellings (+12.9%), services of social facilities (+11.1%) and package holidays (+10.3%).
Goods prices up 5.0% on September 2022
The prices of goods (total) were up by 5.0% in September 2023 on the same month of the previous year. Slightly larger price increases were observed for non-durable consumer goods (+5.5%, including alcoholic beverages and tobacco: +8.8%; food and non-alcoholic beverages: +7.7%). The prices of durable consumer goods rose by 4.1% compared with September 2022.
Prices of mineral oil products up 2.5% month on month
Compared with August 2023, the consumer price index rose by 0.3% in September 2023. Energy prices as a whole increased by 0.8% from August 2023 to September 2023. Price increases were recorded especially for mineral oil products (+2.5%, of which heating oil: +6.0% and motor fuels: +2.2%). Natural gas was less expensive (-1.2%). Food prices (total) rose slightly compared with the previous month (+0.4%, including fruit: +1.4%). There were also seasonal price fluctuations in September 2023: for example, clothing prices increased (+5.4%), whereas the price of package holidays decreased (-6.5%).
Methodological notes:
The “Germany ticket” has been taken into account in the consumer price index since the start of May 2023. It resulted in price reductions in public regional and local passenger transport in May 2023. Compared with the introduction of the “9-euro ticket” for the months from June to August 2022, the impacts were considerably less pronounced. Nonetheless, it did have a slight dampening effect on prices particularly in the services product group. The 9-euro ticket was available for a limited period only. The dampening effect of the Germany ticket (still available) since June 2023 in the year-on-year rates of price change in public regional and local passenger transport is therefore apparent from September 2023 onwards. In addition, the current results are impacted by other measures of the Federal Government's third relief package, which are aimed in particular at containing the increase in energy prices. An overview explaining the different relief measures and their impact on the consumer price index is available on the website of the Federal Statistical Office.
The consumer price index (CPI) and the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) differ in coverage and methodology. In contrast to the HICP, the CPI also includes household expenditure on owner-occupied housing, games of chance and broadcasting fees. In addition, the HICP product weights are updated annually. As the weight of housing is much smaller in the HICP basket, price increases in other product groups have a larger impact on the HICP than on the CPI. These differences (coverage, methodology and weighting) explain the differences between the CPI and the HICP for Germany. Explanatory notes and a methodological paper which discusses this issue are provided on the website of the Federal Statistical Office.
Inflation Calculator for personal rate of inflation:
Consumers can use the Personal Inflation Calculator of the Federal Statistical Office to adapt their monthly consumption expenditure on individual product groups according to their own consumption patterns and to calculate their personal inflation rate. In addition, the Price Kaleidoscope gives an overview of the price trend and the weights of various products.
| Overall index / subindex | Weighting | Index 2020=100 | Change on the same period a year earlier | Change on the preceding month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in per mill | in per cent | |||
| Overall index | 1,000.00 | 117.8 | 4.5 | 0.3 |
| Food and non-alcoholic-beverages | 119.04 | 130.3 | 7.7 | 0.5 |
| Food | 104.69 | 131.2 | 7.5 | 0.4 |
| Meat and meat products | 22.16 | 129.4 | 4.9 | 0.2 |
| Fruit | 11.62 | 115.0 | 7.5 | 1.4 |
| Vegetables | 13.72 | 125.9 | 8.4 | 0.6 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 35.26 | 119.0 | 8.8 | 0.1 |
| Clothing and footwear | 42.25 | 108.1 | 3.2 | 4.3 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 259.25 | 115.0 | 3.5 | 0.0 |
| Actual net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 68.30 | 105.9 | 2.2 | 0.1 |
| Imputed net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 104.13 | 105.1 | 2.1 | 0.1 |
| Household energy | 43.44 | 155.7 | 6.3 | -0.1 |
| Electricity | 24.50 | 135.4 | 11.1 | -0.5 |
| Gas 1 | 6.07 | 194.0 | -5.3 | -1.2 |
| Heating oil 1 | 1.70 | 224.7 | -26.0 | 6.0 |
| Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment | 67.78 | 118.4 | 5.2 | 0.1 |
| Health | 55.49 | 105.3 | 3.0 | 0.1 |
| Transport | 138.22 | 125.9 | 1.2 | 0.5 |
| Motor fuels | 30.46 | 153.2 | -6.0 | 2.2 |
| Supergrade petrol | 23.19 | 150.0 | -3.7 | 1.7 |
| Diesel fuel | 6.92 | 162.8 | -12.5 | 3.9 |
| Communication | 23.35 | 100.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 |
| Recreation and culture | 104.23 | 116.1 | 5.6 | -0.9 |
| Package holidays | 13.22 | 136.2 | 10.3 | -6.5 |
| Education | 9.06 | 110.2 | 4.4 | 2.6 |
| Restaurant and accommodation services | 47.20 | 121.0 | 6.6 | 0.2 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 98.87 | 114.5 | 6.8 | 0.3 |
| Overall index, excluding food and energy 2 | 821.41 | 112.8 | 4.6 | 0.2 |
More information:
Detailed results 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 (61121-0006) in the GENESIS-Online database. Special items shown in Tables (61111-0006) and (61121-0006) contain CPI and HICP results which are used to measure "core inflation". The table "Verbraucherpreisindex – Preisentwicklung für Nahrungsmittel" (only in German) contains information on changes in the prices of individual food products.
Consumer price index results are also available on Dashboard Germany (www.dashboard-deutschland.de) (only in German). This data portal of the Federal Statistical Office combines up-to-date indicators from official statistics producers and other data providers on the topics of the economy, finance, health and mobility. The portal also contains the Economic Pulse Monitor tool (Pulsmesser Wirtschaft) (only in German) for real-time economic monitoring.
Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the related sanctions are having an impact on many parts of the economy and society. Relevant data and information are provided on a special webpage (www.destatis.de/ukraine) (only in German).
