Press release No. 020 of 16 January 2025
Consumer price index, December and year 2024
+2.6% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.5% on the previous month (provisional result: +0.4%)
+2.2% on an annual average basis in 2024 compared with 2023 (provisional result confirmed)
Harmonised index of consumer prices, December and year 2024
+2.8% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.7% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
+2.5% on an annual average basis in 2024 compared with 2023 (provisional result confirmed)
WIESBADEN − Consumer prices in Germany rose by 2.2% in 2024 on an annual average basis compared with 2023. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reports that the inflation rate in 2024 was therefore markedly lower than in the three preceding years. The rate of inflation was +5.9% in 2023, as high as +6.9% in 2022 and +3.1% in 2021, on an annual average basis. Before, it seldom exceeded the two-percent mark, on average, in a calendar year, the last time being 2011 when inflation also stood at +2.2%.
In December 2024, the inflation rate, measured as the year-on-year change in the consumer price index (CPI), stood at +2.6%. It therefore increased towards the end of the year, after the monthly rates had already risen steadily in the 4th quarter of 2024.
Year-on-year rate of price increase excluding food and energy at +3.0% in 2024
The year-on-year rate of price increase excluding energy and food, often referred to as "core inflation", was +3.0% in 2024, after standing at +5.1% in 2023 and +3.8% in 2022. Compared with the two preceding years, this figure is down but is still markedly higher than overall inflation. This rate also demonstrates that inflation also remained high in other product groups on an annual average basis in 2024.
Particularly sharp rise in service prices, up +3.8% on an annual average basis in 2024
The prices of services (total) in 2024 showed above-average growth (+3.8%) compared with 2023, after services had cost markedly more (+4.4%) in 2023 already. For example, there was a particularly sharp rise in insurance prices (+13.2%) on an annual average basis in 2024. Compared with 2023, significant price rises were also observed in 2024 for services of social facilities (+7.8%), catering services in restaurants, cafés and the like (+6.8%) and the maintenance and repair of vehicles (+6.1%), for instance. Net rents exclusive of heating expenses, which are a major factor contributing to the development of prices, were up 2.1% in 2024 on an annual average basis and therefore slightly lower than overall inflation. The development of telecommunications prices (0.0%) was also below the annual average of 2024. The combined tickets for rail, bus and the like (-7.4%), in particular, cost less in 2024 than in 2023 due to the previous year’s price development with the introduction of the Germany ticket in May 2023 (base effect).
Goods prices up 1.0% in 2024 from 2023, with food prices up 1.4%
The prices of goods (total) increased by 1.0% on an annual average basis in 2024 compared with 2023, and were therefore substantially lower than service prices. In the goods category, the prices of non-durable consumer goods rose by 0.9%, with energy prices falling (-3.2%) and food prices rising (+1.4%). In the food (only in German) category, consumers had to pay markedly more in 2024 for edible fats and oils (+10.3%) and sugar, jam, honey and other confectionery (+6.4%), for instance, compared with 2023. By contrast, dairy products (-2.1%) and vegetables (-1.5%), for example, were less expensive. Non-durable consumer goods prices were also up on an annual average basis for non-alcoholic beverages (+6.4%) and tobacco products (+6.0%), in particular. Durable consumer goods cost 1.0% more in 2024 than a year earlier.
Energy product prices down 3.2% in 2024 compared with 2023
The prices of energy products fell by 3.2% in 2024 year on year, following an increase of 5.3% in 2023 and a steep hike of 29.7% in 2022. On an annual average basis, the prices of household energy (total) dropped by 3.1% in 2024. For example, electricity (-6.4%), heating oil (-3.9%) and natural gas (-3.5%) cost less than a year earlier. By contrast, among household energy products, the price of district heating increased substantially by an annual average of 27.1% in 2024 compared with 2023. In addition, the price of motor fuels (-3.2%) fell on an annual average basis in 2024 compared with 2023. Excluding energy prices, the year-on-year rate of price increase in 2024 would have been +2.9%.
Consumer prices in December 2024 up 2.6% on December 2023
The inflation rate in Germany stood at +2.6% in December 2024 compared with December 2023, following a rate of +2.2% in November 2024. The rise in prices therefore accelerated again at the end of the year. In particular, the decline in energy prices slowed further in December 2024, contributing less to the reduction of inflation. The inflation rate for energy stood at -1.6% in December 2024 compared with December 2023, following a rate of -3.7% in November 2024 compared with November 2023.
Year on year, the prices of mineral oil products were significantly lower in December 2024 (-3.8%, of which heating oil: -10.0%; motor fuels: -3.3%). Compared with December 2023, electricity prices were down 2.9%. By contrast, natural gas cost 3.9% more in December 2024 than a year earlier, and the price of district heating was up by as much as 30.7%.
Food prices increased by 2.0% in December 2024 compared with the same month of the previous year. Excluding food and energy prices, the rate of inflation in December 2024 would have been +3.3%. This illustrates that inflation was above average in other important product groups.
Goods prices in December 2024 up 1.4% on December 2023, increase in service prices still above average at 4.1%
The prices of goods (total) were up 1.4% in December 2024 on the same month a year earlier. A price increase of 1.6% was recorded for non-durable consumer goods, which include food and energy, and durable consumer goods also became more expensive (+0.8%, including clothing: +2.8%; but information processing equipment: -6.5%). The prices of services (total) continued to increase significantly (+4.1%) in the same period, including net rents exclusive of heating expenses, which rose by 2.1%. Some services were markedly more expensive, including insurance (+16.6%), air tickets (+9.3%), catering services in restaurants, cafés and the like (+6.6%) and the maintenance and repair of vehicles (+5.7%). By contrast, only a few services cost less than in the same month a year earlier, for example telecommunications services (-1.0%).
Prices (total) up 0.5% in December 2024 month on month
Compared with November 2024, the consumer price index rose by 0.5% in December 2024. The rate of change on the previous month was therefore 0.1 percentage points higher than the preliminary result published on 7 January 2025. Due to the season, there was an increase in prices for travel, for example, including package holidays (+9.2%). In addition, rail tickets became more expensive in December 2024 as a result of the annual price adjustment, with an increase recorded in the prices of long-distance rail fares (+4.2%) and short-distance rail fares (+3.0%).
Methodological notes:
An overview explaining the different measures of the Federal Government and their impact on the consumer price index is available on the website of the Federal Statistical Office.
In the Euro area, the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) is used for the purposes of monetary policy. Apart from the individual purposes they serve, the consumer price index (CPI) and the HICP differ in terms of coverage, methodology and weighting. This explains the differences between the CPI and the HICP for Germany. 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. Explanatory notes on this matter are available on the website of the Federal Statistical Office together with the HICP results and a methodological paper on the HICP.
From December 2024 onwards, consumer prices are collected according to a new survey catalogue, in preparation for the change to the base year of 2025 (expected to be in 2028). This change of survey catalogue is regular practice. In particular, the new catalogue takes into account the new German Classification of Income and Expenditure of Households, edition 2021 (SEA 2021) (only in German), and the new European Classification of Individual Consumption according to Purpose – ECOICOP, version 2, (COICOP 2018). This has resulted in major changes to the structure of the survey catalogue. The changeover, however, does not affect the basket of goods and services and the weights used to factor the product types into the consumer price index for the current base year of 2020. The basket of goods and the weights are usually adjusted when the next base year is introduced.
The classification-related changes also have an impact on the quality of the results of consumer price statistics. For example, the comparability of the results is limited to some extent, particularly the comparison of the data for December 2024 – the month the changeover took place – with the previous month (rate of change in December 2024 compared with November 2024). Depending on the product group considered, the change of survey catalogue has little or no impact on the comparison of results with the same month a year earlier (rate of change in December 2024 compared with December 2023). The annual result (rate of change in 2024 compared with 2023) is not affected by the change at all, or only marginally, depending on the product group considered.
The extensive classification-related changes to the product structure impact the different sections of the basket of goods to varying degrees. Rents, for example, are not affected at all and almost no impact is seen for energy products (household energy and motor fuels).
Overall, the quality of the consumer price index (CPI) and the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) for December 2024 is also assured.
The Federal Statistical Office provides more information on the change of the survey catalogue in a methodological paper (only in German) on its "Consumer price index" webpage.
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 | 2024 (annual average) | December 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Index | Change on annual average of 2023 | Change on December 2023 | ||
in per mill | % | |||
| Overall index | 1,000.00 | 119.3 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
| Food and non-alcoholic-beverages | 119.04 | 132.8 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
| Food | 104.69 | 133.2 | 1.4 | 2.0 |
| Meat and meat products | 22.16 | 129.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| Fruit | 11.62 | 118.7 | 3.8 | 2.5 |
| Vegetables | 13.72 | 130.2 | -1.5 | -0.3 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 35.26 | 122.3 | 4.4 | 4.9 |
| Clothing and footwear | 42.25 | 109.3 | 3.0 | 2.7 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 259.25 | 115.9 | 1.2 | 1.7 |
| Actual net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 68.30 | 107.7 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Imputed net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 104.13 | 106.9 | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| Household energy | 43.44 | 150.3 | -3.1 | -0.5 |
| Electricity | 24.50 | 127.4 | -6.4 | -2.9 |
| Gas 1 | 6.07 | 189.9 | -3.5 | 3.9 |
| Healting oil 1 | 1.70 | 199.3 | -3.9 | -10.0 |
| Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment | 67.78 | 118.0 | 0.3 | -0.3 |
| Health | 55.49 | 107.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| Transport | 138.22 | 124.8 | 1.0 | 1.5 |
| Motor fuels | 30.46 | 141.1 | -3.2 | -3.3 |
| Supergrade petrol | 23.19 | 138.7 | -2.9 | -2.6 |
| Diesel fuel | 6.92 | 147.5 | -4.0 | -5.5 |
| Communication | 23.35 | 99.1 | -0.7 | -1.7 |
| Recreation and culture | 104.23 | 116.1 | 1.8 | 2.3 |
| Package holidays | 13.22 | 129.9 | 4.8 | 6.7 |
| Education | 9.06 | 114.3 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Restaurant and accommodation services | 47.20 | 126.9 | 6.2 | 5.9 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 98.87 | 120.2 | 6.4 | 7.2 |
| Overall index, excluding food and energy 2 | 821.41 | 115.1 | 3.0 | 3.3 |
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.
Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union, has released provisional results on Euro area inflation for December 2024 (available on Eurostat’s website under News > Euro indicators).
Consumer price index results are also available on Dashboard Germany at www.dashboard-deutschland.de (only in German). In this data portal, the Federal Statistical Office brings together up-to-date indicators from official statistics producers and other data providers on the topics of the economy, finance, the labour market, construction, housing, energy and Ukraine. The portal also contains the Economic Pulse Monitor tool (Pulsmesser Wirtschaft) (only in German) for real-time economic monitoring.
