Vehicles are seen at a gas station in Berlin, capital of Germany, March 11, 2022. The national consumer price index (CPI) in Germany in February rose by 5.1 percent on an annual basis, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Friday. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)
BERLIN, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The national consumer price index (CPI) in Germany in February rose by 5.1 percent on an annual basis, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Friday.
In January, inflation declined for the first time in six months and hit 4.9 percent. The exceeding 5 percent mark in February was influenced by "delivery bottlenecks and significant price increases at upstream stages in the economic process," according to Destatis.
Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were "increasingly superimposed by uncertainties," said Georg Thiel, president of Destatis.
"The current price increases, especially for mineral oil products, are not yet reflected in the results for February 2022," he said.
Prices for energy products rose by 22.5 percent in February, significantly more than overall inflation, according to Destatis. While fuel prices increased by 25.8 percent, prices for light heating oil and natural gas even jumped 52.6 percent and 35.7 percent, respectively.
The increases in energy prices had a "massive effect on the inflation rate," Destatis noted. Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate in February 2022 would have only risen 3.3 percent year-on-year.
Food prices increased by 5.3 percent, with fresh vegetables in particular becoming more expensive, up 11.0 percent. At the same time, prices for vehicles also increased by 7.8 percent, according to Destatis. ■
A customer looks on a screen displaying the cost as he fuels a vehicle at a gas station in Berlin, capital of Germany, March 11, 2022. The national consumer price index (CPI) in Germany in February rose by 5.1 percent on an annual basis, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Friday. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)
A price board is seen at a gas station in Berlin, capital of Germany, March 11, 2022. The national consumer price index (CPI) in Germany in February rose by 5.1 percent on an annual basis, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Friday. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)
A pedestrian walks past a price board of a gas station in Berlin, capital of Germany, March 11, 2022. The national consumer price index (CPI) in Germany in February rose by 5.1 percent on an annual basis, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Friday. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)
A customer prepares to leave a gas station in Berlin, capital of Germany, March 11, 2022. The national consumer price index (CPI) in Germany in February rose by 5.1 percent on an annual basis, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Friday. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)
A vehicle runs past a gas station in Berlin, capital of Germany, March 11, 2022. The national consumer price index (CPI) in Germany in February rose by 5.1 percent on an annual basis, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Friday. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)
