Press release No. 302 of 13 August 2019

Consumer price index, July 2019
+1.7% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.5% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)

Harmonised index of consumer prices, July 2019
+1.1% on the same month a year earlier (provisional result confirmed)
+0.4% on the previous month (provisional result confirmed)

WIESBADEN – Consumer prices in Germany were up 1.7% in July 2019 compared with July 2018. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that the inflation rate − as measured by the consumer price index (CPI) – was slightly up (June 2019: +1.6%). Compared with June 2019, the consumer price index rose by 0.5% in July 2019.

Energy product prices increased above average by 2.4% from July 2018 to July 2019 (June 2019: +2.5%) and had an upward effect on the inflation rate, as had been the case in the previous month. The prices of district heating (+4.8%), natural gas (+4.4%) and electricity (+3.8%) were markedly higher than a year earlier. Motor fuel prices (total) were hardly higher than a year earlier (+0.2%), heating oil prices decreased slightly (-0.5%) in the same period. Excluding energy prices, inflation rate would have been +1.5% in July 2019.

Food prices rose above average (+2.1%) in July 2019 year on year. The price increase accelerated markedly on the previous month (June 2019: +1.2%). Vegetable prices increased substantially in July 2019 year on year (+11.0%). Marked price rises were also recorded for meat and meat products and for fish, fish products and seafood (+3.6% each). In contrast, prices fell considerably for a small number of products (for instance, edible fats and oils: -10.1%; fruit: -4.5%).

The prices of goods (total) were by 1.8% higher in July 2019 than in the same month a year earlier. Apart from increases in energy (+2.4%) and food prices (+2.1%), prices were markedly up for newspapers and periodicals (+5.0%), clothing (+3.8%) and tobacco products (+3.2%). However, prices were down for some goods such as telephones (-8.1%) and consumer electronics (-4.5%).

Compared with goods prices, the prices of services rose somewhat less strongly year on year (+1.5%) in July 2019. A major factor contributing to the development of service prices was the increase in net rents exclusive of heating expenses (+1.4%), as households spend a large part of their consumption expenditure on this item. Much larger price increases were observed, for example, for services of social facilities (+5.5%), maintenance and repair of vehicles (+4.7%) and for catering services in restaurants, cafes and the like (+2.8%). The prices of some services were down, among them pre-primary education services (-12.5%). The large price decrease in the education sector was due especially to the reduction of childcare costs in some Länder.

Change in July 2019 on June 2019
Compared with June 2019, the consumer price index increased by 0.5% in July 2019. In the holiday month of July, prices were up especially for package holidays (+15.1%) and air tickets (+6.1%). A considerable price increase was recorded for letter services (+10.6%), which is due to the new postage for letters and postcards that has been applicable since 1 July 2019.

Food prices (total) increased slightly in July 2019 on June 2019 (+0.4%). Energy prices (total) were slightly down on the previous month (-0.2%). Decreases in motor fuel prices (-1.1%) were contrasted by increases in heating oil prices (+2.2%). Consumers benefited from markedly lower prices of clothing and footwear (-3.4%). This development was mainly due to seasonal price reductions for summer articles.

Consumer price index for Germany July 2019

Overall index / subindex	Weighting	Index 2015 = 100	Change on the same period a year earlier	Change on the preceding month
	in per mill		in per cent
1 Results do not include charges.
Overall index	1,000.00	106.2	1.7	0.5
Food and non-alcoholic-beverages	96.85	107.5	1.8	0.3
Food	84.87	108.1	2.1	0.4
Meat	18.60	108.3	3.6	1.0
Fruit	8.88	105.2	-4.5	-0.3
Vegetables	11.08	112.3	11.0	0.0
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco	37.77	111.1	2.1	0.1
Clothing and footwear	45.34	99.4	3.6	-3.4
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels	324.70	105.0	1.9	0.2
Net rent exclusive of heating expenses	196.32	105.6	1.4	0.1
Household energy	68.82	102.4	3.5	0.4
Electricity	25.92	107.1	3.8	0.3
Gas1	13.53	95.9	4.4	0.2
Heating oil1	7.01	113.8	-0.5	2.2
Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances and other household equipment	50.04	102.4	0.9	0.0
Health	46.13	104.5	1.0	0.0
Transport	129.05	107.6	1.7	0.0
Motor fuels	35.01	107.2	0.2	-1.1
Supergrade petrol	25.66	107.0	0.9	-1.4
Diesel fuel	8.64	108.2	-1.9	-0.4
Communication	26.72	95.7	-0.8	0.2
Recreation and culture	113.36	111.4	0.5	3.8
Package holidays	26.62	136.0	0.1	15.1
Education	9.02	102.6	-2.1	-0.1
Restaurant and accommodation services	46.77	110.1	2.7	0.2
Miscellaneous goods and services	74.25	106.0	2.3	0.2
Overall index
Excluding food and energy	811.30	106.3	1.6	0.6
Excluding energy (household energy and motor fuels)	896.17	106.4	1.5	0.5
Excluding heating oil and motor fuels	957.98	106.1	1.7	0.5
Goods	468.16	104.5	1.8	-0.3
Non-durable consumer goods	297.54	106.3	2.0	0.0
Energy	103.83	104.0	2.4	-0.2
Services	531.84	107.6	1.5	1.0

Harmonised index of consumer prices for Germany

The harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) for Germany, which is calculated for European purposes, rose by 1.1% in July 2019 on July 2018, following 1.5% in June 2019. The considerable difference of 0.6 percentage points between the HICP and the CPI regarding the inflation rate in July 2019 is due to a special methodological effect concerning package holidays in the HICP. Compared with June 2019, the HICP increased by 0.4% in July 2019.

More information on consumer price statistics is provided by Fachserie 17, Reihe 7.

Detailed data and long time series of consumer price statistics can also be found in the Genesis Online database in tables 61111-0004 and 61111-0006 (consumer price index) as well as in tables 61121-0002 and 61121-0004 (harmonised consumer price index).