The trajectory of energy prices contributed to tempering the inflation rate in March, while the rising trend of food prices intensified again.
Moreover, above-average price increases in services, particularly, continued to drive inflation upwards.
Compared to February, the consumer price index (CPI) rose by 0.3%.
In March, energy product prices declined by 2.8% compared to a year ago, following a 1.6% decrease over the previous three months, from December to February, respectively.
Over the year, fuel prices experienced the greatest decline, with a reduction of 4.6%.
Domestic energy saw a 1.6% decrease in the same period, with consumers benefiting notably from a drop in electricity prices (2.1%), firewood, pellets, or other solid fuels (3.5%), and heating oil (8.4%).
In contrast, natural gas increased by 3.5%, and district heating became 9.5% more expensive.
Food prices increased by 3% year-on-year, compared to a 2.4% rise in February, marking a resumption of the upward price trend that was significantly higher than the overall inflation in March.
The last notable rise in food prices occurred in January of the previous year, with a 3.8% annual increase.
Between March 2024 and this year, the primary price increases were seen in fats and oils (9.2%), fruit (5.7%), and vegetables (5.3%).
The hike in prices for sugar, jam, honey, and other sweets (4.9%) as well as dairy products and eggs (4.1%) also surpassed general inflation.
Only fish, seafood, and shellfish became cheaper, by 0.4%.
Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, stood at 2.6% in March, while excluding the impact of energy, inflation was 2.7%.
Meanwhile, services saw an above-average increase of 3.5%.
Net rents, which continue to play a significant role in the evolution of service prices, rose by 2.1%.
Conversely, only a few services were cheaper than in the same month of the prior year, such as international flights (-8.7%) and telecommunications (-1.1%).
Overall, goods prices rose by 1% in March, year-on-year, with consumer goods increasing by 1.3% and durable consumer goods rising by 0.4%.
The harmonized CPI for Germany, calculated according to EU criteria, increased by 2.3% year-on-year in March and by 0.4% compared to the previous month.
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