Price Increases in Germany: By Product and Service Groups, Consumer Price Index
On this page, you will find up-to-date information about price increases in Germany for the main groups of goods and services. See which categories are rising in price the fastest, where price growth has been minimal, and what factors influence price changes.
Consumer Price Index in Germany
Consumer Price Index (VPI, CPI) is the main indicator that shows how the prices of goods and services bought by people are changing. It is used to calculate the inflation rate in Germany.
According to the latest official data 1, the consumer price index in Germany in January 2026 was 122.8 %. This means that, on average, prices for goods and services in Germany have increased by 22.8 % compared to the base year 2020. Compared to the previous month, the index changed by 0.1 %, and compared to the same month last year — by 2.1 %. Looking at the index over the past year, we can see that price growth remains stable.
The consumer price index is based on a broad basket of goods, which includes food, housing, energy, transport, healthcare, clothing and other spending categories. So, the index does not show price changes for single products but the average price change across the whole economy.
Changes in the index help us understand how much the cost of living has gone up and how people’s buying power is changing.
Table 1. Changes in the Consumer Price Index in Germany Over the Year
| Month, Year | Consumer Price Index | Change Over the Year | Change Over the Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 2025 | 120.8 % | 2.3 % | 0.4 % |
| March 2025 | 121.2 % | 2.2 % | 0.3 % |
| April 2025 | 121.7 % | 2.1 % | 0.4 % |
| May 2025 | 121.8 % | 2.1 % | 0.1 % |
| June 2025 | 121.8 % | 2.0 % | 0.0 % |
| July 2025 | 122.2 % | 2.0 % | 0.3 % |
| August 2025 | 122.3 % | 2.2 % | 0.1 % |
| September 2025 | 122.6 % | 2.4 % | 0.2 % |
| October 2025 | 123.0 % | 2.3 % | 0.3 % |
| November 2025 | 122.7 % | 2.3 % | -0.2 % |
| December 2025 | 122.7 % | 1.8 % | 0.0 % |
| January 2026 | 122.8 % | 2.1 % | 0.1 % |
Chart 1. Changes in the Consumer Price Index During the Year
Price Growth by Main Groups of Goods and Services
The overall inflation rate is made up of price changes in different categories of goods and services. Some groups become more expensive faster, others more slowly, and for some items there may even be temporary price drops. Below you can see data on price increases for the main groups in the consumer basket.
In Table 2 below, you can see how prices have changed in Germany for food, electricity, petrol, cars, clothing, housing, medicines, public transport and other key groups of goods and services. The table shows price changes in percent compared to the base year 2020 and the average yearly price increase.
Table 2. Price Growth for Main Groups of Goods and Services in Germany in 2025 and Average Annual Increase 2
| Group of Goods/Services | Compared to 2020 | Average Annual Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Gas Gas, einschließlich Betriebskosten | 85.5 % | 13.2 % |
| Airline tickets Personenbeförderung im Luftverkehr | 50.3 % | 8.5 % |
| Non-alcoholic beverages Alkoholfreie Getränke | 38.6 % | 6.7 % |
| Automotive fuels and lubricants Kraft- und Schmierstoffe für Fahrzeuge | 37.4 % | 6.6 % |
| Food Nahrungsmittel | 35.9 % | 6.3 % |
| Insurance Versicherungsdienstleistungen | 30.1 % | 5.4 % |
| Overnight in hotels Übernachtungen | 26.9 % | 4.9 % |
| Cars Kauf von Fahrzeugen | 26.9 % | 4.9 % |
| Electricity Strom | 24.6 % | 4.5 % |
| Public transport Personenbeförderung im Straßenverkehr | 23.5 % | 4.3 % |
| Inpatient treatment Stationäre Gesundheitsdienstleistungen | 21.2 % | 3.9 % |
| Furniture, lighting, appliances and other household accessories Möbel, Leuchten, Geräte u.a. Haushaltszubehör | 18.0 % | 3.4 % |
| Books Bücher | 16.6 % | 3.1 % |
| Financial services Finanzdienstleistungen, a.n.g. | 16.3 % | 3.1 % |
| Post/ Mail Services Brief- und Paketdienstleistungen | 14.9 % | 2.8 % |
| Pharmaceutical products Pharmazeutische Erzeugnisse | 13.1 % | 2.5 % |
| Clothing and shoes Bekleidung und Schuhe | 10.2 % | 2.0 % |
| Rental housing Tatsächliche Wohnungsmiete | 9.7 % | 1.9 % |
| Sports goods Güter für Sport, Camping und Erholung | 9.0 % | 1.7 % |
| Railway travel Personenbeförderung im Schienenverkehr | 4.8 % | 0.9 % |
| Outpatient treatment Ambulante Gesundheitsdienstleistungen | 4.3 % | 0.8 % |
| Computers, mobile phones Audio-, Foto-, IT-Geräte und Zubehör | -0.9 % | -0.2 % |
| Telecommunication services Telekommunikationsdienstleistungen | -2.2 % | -0.4 % |
| Computers Informationsverarbeitungsgeräte | -5.6 % | -1.1 % |
Which Goods and Services Have Increased Most in Price
Although the consumer price index shows the average increase across the whole economy, some goods and services have become much more expensive than average. It is these categories that people usually notice most in their everyday spending.
From 2020 to 2025, the biggest price increases were seen in the following groups of goods and services.
Table 3. Goods and Services With the Biggest Price Increases
| Category of Goods and Services | Price Increase Over 5 Years, % |
|---|---|
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | |
| Meat, meat products/ deli meat | 32.2 % |
| Fish | 30.2 % |
| Dairy products | 45.2 % |
| Fruits | 24.5 % |
| Vegetables | 29.8 % |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products | |
| Alcoholic beverages | 20.1 % |
| Beer | 25.1 % |
| Clothing and shoes | |
| Clothing/ Clothes | 10.6 % |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | |
| Electricity | 24.6 % |
| Gas | 85.5 % |
| Central heating, hot water | 78.7 % |
| Furniture, lighting, appliances and other household accessories | |
| Furniture | 20.6 % |
| Home textiles | 14.1 % |
| Tools | 10.4 % |
| Medical services and medicines | |
| Pharmaceutical products | 13.1 % |
| Transport services | |
| Cars | 26.9 % |
| Bicycles | 14.3 % |
| Automotive fuels and lubricants | 37.4 % |
| Car repair and maintenance | 34.4 % |
| Transport services | 14.4 % |
| Mail, communication | |
| Post/ Mail Services | 14.9 % |
| Leisure, entertainment and culture | |
| Pets | 31.7 % |
| Books | 16.6 % |
| Newspapers and magazines | 28.1 % |
| Vacation packages | 35.9 % |
| Accommodation and catering | |
| Restaurants, cafes | 33.7 % |
| Other goods and services | |
| Hairdressing | 25.1 % |
| Jewelry and watches | 21.0 % |
| Motor transport / Motor-vehicle transport insurance services | 59.3 % |
| Financial services | 16.3 % |
Looking at which goods and services have increased most helps us understand which costs have the biggest effect on family budgets and shape people’s feelings about rising prices overall.
Which Goods and Services Have Hardly Increased in Price
Even though prices are generally rising, there are some categories in the consumer basket where prices have changed very little or hardly at all. Sometimes there may even be a temporary stabilisation or drop in prices.
From 2020 to 2025, these categories have shown relatively stable prices.
Table 4. Goods and Services With Little or No Price Change
| Category of Goods and Services | Price Increase Over 5 Years, % |
|---|---|
| Shoes | 7.6 % |
| Doctors services/ Medical services | 0.0 % |
| Dentists services | 7.1 % |
| Musical instruments | 6.2 % |
| Games, toys | 5.0 % |
| Sports goods | 9.0 % |
If prices hardly change in some categories, this can partly balance out increases elsewhere. However, how much it affects your budget depends on what you spend money on: the more you spend on things that are getting expensive quickly, the more you will feel overall price growth.
Goods and Services With Price Decreases
Even though prices are generally rising in the economy, from 2020 to 2025 there have been some categories of goods and services where prices have actually gone down. This does not happen often but shows that inflation affects different areas in different ways.
Table 4. Goods and Services With Lower Prices
| Category of Goods and Services | Price Decrease Over 5 Years, % |
|---|---|
| Phones and other mobile devices | -7.1 % |
| Telecommunication services | -2.2 % |
| Home insurance services | -6.6 % |
As you can see from the table, these items make up only a small part of the overall consumer basket, and so their price drops do not balance out increases in other more important categories, such as housing, energy or food.
Main Causes of Price Growth in Germany
Price increases in Germany are caused by a mix of domestic and international economic factors. Inflation is not due to just one event but happens because several things influence prices at the same time.
- Rising energy prices — higher prices for gas, electricity and fuel mean higher costs for both businesses and households.
- Higher business costs — rising wages, raw material costs and transport costs lead to higher prices for customers.
- External economic factors — changes on world markets, geopolitical events and currency fluctuations affect import prices.
- Other factors — tax changes and government decisions, EU monetary policy, high demand for goods and services and other reasons can speed up or slow down inflation.
Understanding why prices are rising helps us see whether current inflation is just temporary or shows longer-term changes in Germany’s economy.
Data Explanations
- Consumer Price Index: figures are based on official data from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office Verbraucherpreisindex und Inflationsrate
- Average annual price growth: calculated using compounding — this is the steady yearly rate at which prices would have grown from start to finish over the chosen period.
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