Press release No. 140 of 20 April 2026
Producer prices of industrial products (domestic sales), March 2026
-0.2% on the same month a year earlier
+2.5% on the previous month
WIESBADEN – The producer prices of industrial products were 0.2% lower in March 2026 than in March 2025. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that producer prices in March 2026 were up 2.5% on February 2026. This is the largest month-on-month increase since August 2022 (+5.4%).
Both the year-on-year decline in producer prices and the sharp increase in producer prices compared with the previous month are primarily attributable to the development of energy prices. The impact of the conflict in Iran and the Middle East was particularly reflected in substantial year-on-year price increases for mineral oil products and sharp month-on-month rises in the price of almost all energy products. As natural gas and electricity prices were down from a year earlier, energy prices (total) were lower than in March 2025.
Non-durable consumer goods were less expensive than in the same month of the previous year. By contrast, capital goods, durable consumer goods and intermediate goods cost more than a year earlier. When energy prices are excluded, producer prices in March 2026 rose by 1.3% on the same month of the previous year and were up 0.4% compared with February 2026.
Energy prices: sharp month-on-month increase, mixed trend compared with previous year
Energy prices in March 2026 were down 3.2% from the same month a year earlier. However, energy was 7.5% more expensive compared with February 2026. This is the largest month-on-month increase of energy prices since August 2022 (+14.3%). In March 2026, the prices of mineral oil products, in particular, rose sharply as a result of the conflict in Iran and the Middle East. By contrast, other energy sources, such as natural gas and electricity, recorded comparatively low price increases mainly due to longer-term contracts and pricing mechanisms. As the price level for natural gas and electricity had been high since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, even year-on-year price decreases were recorded for natural gas and electricity in March 2025.
Mineral oil product prices were up 18.3% from March 2025, and were up 22.9% compared with February 2026. Heating oil cost 55.2% more than in March 2025 and was 53.4% more expensive than in February 2026. Motor fuel prices were 29.5% higher than in March 2025 and increased by 22.3% compared with February 2026.
Across all customer groups, natural gas (distribution) cost 8.0% less than in the same month a year earlier but was 5.7% more expensive than in February 2026. However, the impact of the conflict in Iran and the Middle East was already visible in March 2026 in the natural gas exchange prices, which are included in the producer price index; natural gas exchange prices were up 22.1% on a year earlier and rose by 57.3% compared with February 2026. Due to the low weighting in the overall index, this price increase only had a marginal impact on the overall development, however.
Electricity prices declined by 5.8% compared with March 2025 but were up 3.1% month on month. District heating was less expensive (-0.6%) than in the same month of the previous year.
Price increases for capital goods and durable consumer goods, price reductions for non-durable consumer goods
Capital goods prices in March 2026 were up 1.9% year on year (+0.3% compared with February 2026). Machinery cost 1.7% more and the prices of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers increased by 1.2% compared with March 2025.
Durable consumer goods were 1.9% more expensive in March 2026 than in the same month a year earlier (+0.1% compared with February 2026).
By contrast, non-durable consumer goods produced and sold in Germany were 0.3% less expensive than in the same month a year earlier but cost 0.6% more than in February 2026. In the non-durable consumer goods category, food prices (total) dropped by 1.4% but rose by 0.8% compared with February 2026. Significantly lower prices than in March 2025 were recorded for butter (-39.8%) and pork (-5.8%). Pork prices were up 7.7% from February 2026. By contrast, beef (+14.9%) and coffee (+4.7%) were more expensive compared with the same month of the previous year.
Price increases also observed for intermediate goods
Intermediate goods prices in March 2026 were up 1.5% year on year (+0.7% compared with February 2026).
The price increase compared with March 2025 was mainly attributable to higher metal prices (+8.2%). The prices of precious metals (+72.8%), in particular, increased substantially compared with the same month of the previous year, and were up 3.2% on February 2026. Copper and semi-finished copper products (+17.6%) also cost more than a year earlier. By contrast, basic iron, steel and ferro-alloys (-0.8%) were less expensive than a year earlier, but reinforcing steel cost 0.5% more.
Wood and products of wood and cork (+6.0%) also cost more than in the same month of the previous year, including coniferous timber (+11.2%) and non-coniferous timber (+2.7%). Substantial year-on-year price increases were recorded for pellets, briquettes and logs (+26.8%).
The prices of glass and glass products were up 3.8% year on year. Compared with March 2025, higher prices were registered for shaped and processed flat glass (+6.8%), while hollow glass cost less (-2.2%).
Price decreases on March 2025 were also recorded for basic chemicals (-2.4%); however, higher prices were observed for fertilisers (+3.3%; +2.3% on February 2026). Paper and paper products cost 2.3% less than in the same month of the preceding year. Prepared feeds for farm animals (-7.4%) and cereal flours (-4.3%) also cost considerably less than in March 2025. Compared with the previous month, however, the prices of prepared feeds were up 1.1% and cereal flour prices rose by 0.9%.
Methodological notes:
The producer price index for industrial products measures the development of prices for products produced and sold in Germany by the mining and quarrying, manufacturing, and energy and water supply sectors. All charges and taxes on goods are included, except value-added tax. The index therefore reflects price developments at an early stage of the economic process. The 15th of each reference month is the survey reference date. The current base year of the producer price index for industrial products is 2021. The basket of goods and the index weighting refer to this base year.
More information:
The statistical report (only in German) on producer price indices for industrial products (domestic sales) also includes the latest results. Long time series for the overall index are also available in the table on producer price indices for industrial products (61241-0002) and for sub-indices in the table on producer price indices for industrial products (61241-0004) in the GENESIS-Online database.
Information on CO₂ pricing under the Fuel Emission Allowance Trading Act is provided on the “Producer price index for industrial products” page.
Producer prices of industrial products can also be found on the "Economic Dashboard" (www.dashboard-konjunktur.de) (only in German). In this data portal, the Federal Statistical Office brings together high-frequency indicators from official statistics producers and other data providers on the topics of the economy, finance, the labour market, construction and energy.
