Press release No. 055 of 13 February 2025
Consumer price index, January 2025
+2.3% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
-0.2% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)
Harmonised index of consumer prices, January 2025
+2.8% 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 +2.3% in January 2025. In December 2024, inflation was somewhat higher, at +2.6%. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that the rise in food prices slowed in particular. In addition, the development of energy prices had a downward effect on inflation in January 2025 also. On the other hand, above-average increases in service prices continued to drive up inflation. Compared with December 2024, consumer prices were down 0.2% in January 2025.
Energy product prices down 1.6% compared with January 2024
The prices of energy products in January 2025 were 1.6% lower compared with the same month a year earlier. The decline in prices stood at -1.6% in December 2024 already. In January 2025, the prices of both motor fuels (-0.1%) and household energy (-2.5%) were down year on year, with consumers benefiting from lower prices for heating oil (-1.2%), electricity (-3.6%) and firewood, wood pellets and other solid fuels (-8.7%). In some areas, however, the price declines have slowed significantly compared with the previous year. Furthermore, natural gas (+0.5%) and district heating (+9.8%) were more expensive than a year earlier. Price developments (only in German) in January 2025 were likely also driven by the carbon price increase, the higher electricity surcharges and the higher gas grid fees.
Food prices up 0.8% on January 2024
Food prices were 0.8% higher in January 2025 than in the same month a year earlier. The rise in food prices slowed considerably, following a 2.0% increase in December 2024. A lower year-on-year increase in food prices than in January 2025 was last recorded in December 2020 (+0.3% on December 2019). Compared with January 2024, notable price increases were still recorded for edible fats and oils in January 2025 (+15.1%, including butter: +32.6%). Price rises for dairy products and eggs (+2.7%) also remained markedly higher than overall inflation. By contrast, smaller price increases or no increases at all were recorded for some food groups (only in German) such as bread and cereals (+1.2%), meat and meat products (0.0%) and vegetables (-2.3%).
Inflation rate excluding food and energy at +2.9%
Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate stood at +2.7% in January 2025. The inflation rate excluding food and energy, often referred to as core inflation, was +2.9% in January 2025. Both rates have exceeded overall inflation for more than a year, thereby demonstrating that inflation was above average in other important product groups.
Above-average increase in service prices of 4.0% compared with a year earlier
Compared with the same month of the previous year, the prices of services (total) were up 4.0% in January 2025, and therefore continued to be well above overall inflation. The year-on-year rate of increase in service prices has reached the 4 percent mark ever since October 2024. From January 2024 to January 2025, price rises were recorded in particular for services of social facilities (+10.1%), insurance services (+9.9%) and in-patient health services (+8.0%). Other notable price increases were observed, for instance, for the maintenance and repair of vehicles (+5.7%), catering services in restaurants, cafés and the like (+4.7%), and water supply and miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling (+4.5%). Net rents exclusive of heating expenses also continue to be a major factor contributing to the development of service prices. At +2.0%, the rate of price increase was below the inflation rate. By contrast, only a few services cost less than in the same month a year earlier, for example telecommunications services (-1.1%).
Goods prices up 0.9% on January 2024
The prices of goods (total) were up 0.9% in January 2025 compared with January 2024. The price increase observed for non-durable consumer goods (+0.9%) was slightly larger than for durable consumer goods (+0.5%). Aside from the increase in food prices (+0.8%), several other products were markedly more expensive, particularly non-alcoholic beverages and tobacco products (+5.8% each). By contrast, lower prices were recorded not only for energy (-1.6%) but also for furniture and lighting equipment (-1.2%), for example.
Prices (total) down 0.2% month on month
Compared with December 2024, the consumer price index fell by 0.2% in January 2025. Partly due to the season, lower prices were registered for air tickets (-17.9%), package holidays (-15.7%), clothing (-5.7%) and footwear (-2.7%), in particular. Food prices (total) were down 0.3% compared with the previous month, fresh fruit (-3.2%), in particular, was less expensive. By contrast, the prices of energy (total) rose by 1.3%. Heating oil (+8.2%) and motor fuels (+4.3) were significantly more expensive. One probable reason for this is the carbon price increase (only in German). The fact that the price of the Germany ticket (only in German) was increased from 49 euros to 58 euros is also likely to have driven up prices in short-distance passenger transport (+4.2%) and the prices of transport association tickets (+10.4%). Markedly higher prices were also observed for letter and parcel services (+6.9 %), which were partly due to changed postage rates (only in German).
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 and the HICP results are also available 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 | Change on same period of previous year | Change on the previous month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Index | ||||
in per mill | % | |||
| Overall index | 1,000.00 | 120.3 | 2.3 | -0.2 |
| Food and non-alcoholic-beverages | 119.04 | 134.2 | 1.4 | -0.3 |
| Food | 104.69 | 134.4 | 0.8 | -0.3 |
| Meat and meat products | 22.16 | 128.8 | 0.0 | -0.9 |
| Fruit | 11.62 | 120.5 | -0.1 | -2.3 |
| Vegetables | 13.72 | 133.0 | -2.3 | 2.1 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 35.26 | 124.6 | 3.8 | -0.1 |
| Clothing and footwear | 42.25 | 106.6 | 2.9 | -5.0 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 259.25 | 116.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 |
| Actual net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 68.30 | 108.9 | 2.1 | 0.3 |
| Imputed net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 104.13 | 107.9 | 2.0 | 0.4 |
| Household energy | 43.44 | 148.0 | -2.5 | -0.6 |
| Electricity | 24.50 | 124.8 | -3.6 | -1.4 |
| Gas 1 | 6.07 | 189.6 | 0.5 | -1.0 |
| Healting oil 1 | 1.70 | 206.3 | -1.2 | 8.2 |
| Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment | 67.78 | 117.6 | -0.8 | -0.5 |
| Health | 55.49 | 110.1 | 3.1 | 1.5 |
| Transport | 138.22 | 126.2 | 2.9 | 0.5 |
| Motor fuels | 30.46 | 141.5 | -0.1 | 4.3 |
| Supergrade petrol | 23.19 | 138.3 | 0.1 | 4.0 |
| Diesel fuel | 6.92 | 150.4 | -0.9 | 5.4 |
| Communication | 23.35 | 99.0 | -0.9 | 0.7 |
| Recreation and culture | 104.23 | 114.2 | 1.7 | -2.5 |
| Package holidays | 13.22 | 111.6 | 6.8 | -15.7 |
| Education | 9.06 | 118.1 | 4.7 | 1.6 |
| Restaurant and accommodation services | 47.20 | 128.8 | 4.4 | 0.4 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 98.87 | 124.1 | 6.3 | 1.1 |
| Overall index, excluding food and energy 2 | 821.41 | 116.2 | 2.9 | -0.3 |
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 January 2025 (available on Eurostat’s website under News > Euro indicators).
Results for the consumer price index can also be found on the Economic Dashboard, which is part of Dashboard Germany 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.
