Press release No. 093 of 14 March 2025
Consumer price index, February 2025
+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, February 2025
+2.6% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result: +2.8%)
+0.5% on the previous month (provisional result: +0.6%)
WIESBADEN − The inflation rate in Germany, measured as the year-on-year change in the consumer price index (CPI), stood at +2.3% in February 2025. In January 2025 (only in German), the inflation rate was also +2.3%. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that the increase in food prices intensified in February 2025. In addition, above-average increases in service prices, in particular, continued to drive up inflation. By contrast, the development of energy prices had a downward effect on inflation in February 2025 also. Compared with January 2025, consumer prices rose by 0.4% in February 2025.
Energy product prices down 1.6% compared with February 2024
The prices of energy products in February 2025 were 1.6% lower compared with the same month a year earlier. In both January 2025 and December 2024, the decline in prices already stood at -1.6%. In February 2025, the prices of motor fuels (-0.7%) and household energy (-2.2%) were down year on year, with consumers benefiting from lower prices for electricity (-3.0%), firewood, wood pellets and other solid fuels (-5.0%) and heating oil (-6.9%). By contrast, natural gas (+2.0%) and district heating (+9.7%) were more expensive than a year earlier.
2.4% increase in food prices year on year
Food prices in February 2025 were up 2.4% year on year, after +0.8% in January 2025. The rise in food prices therefore accelerated significantly and was slightly higher than the overall rate of inflation in February 2025. The last time a higher year-on-year increase in food prices was recorded was in January 2024 (+3.8% on January 2023). In particular, the price of edible fats and oils (+11.9%, including butter: +27.9%) increased in the period from February 2024 to February 2025. Price increases for fruit (+4.0%), vegetables (+3.9%) and dairy products (+3.7%) also remained markedly higher than overall inflation. Smaller price increases were also recorded for some food groups, such as bread and cereals (+1.1%) and meat and meat products (+0.2%).
Inflation rate excluding food and energy at +2.7%
Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate stood at +2.7% in February 2025. The inflation rate excluding food and energy, often referred to as core inflation, was also +2.7% in February 2025. Both rates have exceeded overall inflation for over a year, thereby demonstrating that inflation was above average in other important product groups.
Service prices registered above-average increase of 3.8% year on year
The prices of services (total) were up 3.8% in February 2025 compared with the same month a year earlier. From February 2024 to February 2025, price increases were recorded in particular for combined passenger transport services (+11.4%), services of social facilities (only in German) (+10.4%) and insurance services (+9.4%). Marked price increases were also observed for in-patient health services (+6.5%), the maintenance and repair of vehicles (+5.6%) and catering services in restaurants, cafés and the like (+4.4%), for instance. Net rents exclusive of heating expenses also continue to be a major factor contributing to the development of service prices. At +2.1%, the rate of price increase was slightly below the inflation rate. By contrast, only a few services still cost less than in the same month a year earlier, for example telecommunications (-1.2%).
Goods prices up 0.9% on February 2024
Goods prices (total) in February 2025 rose by 0.9% from February 2024. Prices were up for non-durable consumer goods (+1.4%), whereas the prices of durable consumer goods dropped slightly (-0.1%). Aside from the rise in food prices (+2.4%), several other products were markedly more expensive, particularly non-alcoholic beverages (+5.9%) and tobacco products (+4.3%). By contrast, price decreases were recorded not only for energy (-1.6%) but also for mobile phones (only in German) (-8.9%) and information processing equipment (-7.7%), for example.
Prices (total) up 0.4% month on month
Compared with January 2025, the consumer price index rose by 0.4% in February 2025. Substantial month-on-month price increases were recorded for package holidays (+9.1), for instance. Food (total) was 1.1% more expensive compared with the previous month, with higher prices in particular for fresh vegetables (+4.5%) and fruit (+2.5%). By contrast, lower prices were recorded for edible fats and oils (-1.6%, including butter: -3.1%). The prices of energy (total) were up 0.4% month on month. When considered in detail, price increases were recorded for motor fuels (+1.2%) and natural gas (+0.6%), for example, whereas heating oil prices decreased by 2.8%.
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 | 120.8 | 2.3 | 0.4 |
| Food and non-alcoholic-beverages | 119.04 | 135.7 | 2.8 | 1.1 |
| Food | 104.69 | 135.9 | 2.4 | 1.1 |
| Meat and meat products | 22.16 | 129.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Fruit | 11.62 | 123.5 | 4.0 | 2.5 |
| Vegetables | 13.72 | 137.3 | 3.9 | 3.2 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 35.26 | 124.4 | 3.2 | -0.2 |
| Clothing and footwear | 42.25 | 106.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 259.25 | 116.9 | 1.4 | 0.2 |
| Actual net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 68.30 | 109.1 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Imputed net rent exclusive of heating expenses | 104.13 | 108.1 | 2.0 | 0.2 |
| Household energy | 43.44 | 147.8 | -2.2 | -0.1 |
| Electricity | 24.50 | 124.7 | -3.0 | -0.1 |
| Gas 1 | 6.07 | 190.7 | 2.0 | 0.6 |
| Healting oil 1 | 1.70 | 200.5 | -6.9 | -2.8 |
| Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment | 67.78 | 117.6 | -0.7 | 0.0 |
| Health | 55.49 | 110.3 | 2.8 | 0.2 |
| Transport | 138.22 | 126.7 | 2.4 | 0.4 |
| Motor fuels | 30.46 | 143.2 | -0.7 | 1.2 |
| Supergrade petrol | 23.19 | 140.4 | 0.2 | 1.5 |
| Diesel fuel | 6.92 | 150.8 | -3.4 | 0.3 |
| Communication | 23.35 | 98.7 | -1.2 | -0.3 |
| Recreation and culture | 104.23 | 115.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| Package holidays | 13.22 | 121.8 | 6.9 | 9.1 |
| Education | 9.06 | 118.5 | 5.0 | 0.3 |
| Restaurant and accommodation services | 47.20 | 129.4 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 98.87 | 124.7 | 6.4 | 0.5 |
| Overall index, excluding food and energy 2 | 821.41 | 116.6 | 2.7 | 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 February 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.
