The inflation rate in Germany was 1.35 percent in 2019. The current rate meets the European Central Bank’s target rate, which is “below, but close to, 2 percent.” Many central bankers favor inflation between 2 and 3 percent, but Germans in particular would rather risk deflation than too much inflation.
Causes of inflation
Central bankers like low, stable inflation because this is a sign of a growing economy. When the economy grows, workers become more productive and spend more, and prices slowly rise. Monetary policy can cause inflation, but Germany has given this responsibility to the European Central Bank (ECB). Importantly, inflation expectations affect inflation, making it a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The German context
During the eurozone crisis, German politicians were advocating for the ECB to raise interest rates quickly. This would have reduced inflation, possibly causing deflation, but would have presented another hurdle for the struggling Greek economy. This is because of the hyperinflation of the Weimar Republic in the 1920s, when Germans carried their pay home in wheelbarrows because the banknotes had lost so much value. Ever since, Germans often warn that inflation harms pensioners and that personal provisions are necessary in any case. Fortunately for them, this statistic forecasts stable, modest inflation that does not alarm many economists.
Germany: Inflation rate from 1987 to 2029
(compared to the previous year)
Characteristic
Inflation rate compared to previous year
2029*
2.01%
2028*
1.99%
2027*
1.97%
2026*
1.97%
2025*
2.02%
2024*
2.41%
2023
6.03%
2022
8.67%
2021
3.21%
2020
0.37%
2019
1.35%
2018
1.94%
2017
1.7%
2016
0.37%
2015
0.68%
2014
0.77%
2013
1.61%
2012
2.16%
2011
2.48%
2010
1.12%
2009
0.25%
2008
2.73%
2007
2.29%
2006
1.8%
2005
1.94%
2004
1.75%
2003
1.08%
2002
1.3%
2001
1.91%
2000
1.41%
1999
0.66%
1998
0.61%
1997
1.5%
1996
1.27%
1995
1.73%
1994
2.72%
1993
4.48%
1992
5.05%
1991
3.47%
1990
2.69%
1989
2.78%
1988
1.27%
1987
0.24%
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IMF. (April 22, 2024). Germany: Inflation rate from 1987 to 2029 (compared to the previous year) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/375207/inflation-rate-in-germany/
IMF. "Germany: Inflation rate from 1987 to 2029 (compared to the previous year)." Chart. April 22, 2024. Statista. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/375207/inflation-rate-in-germany/
IMF. (2024). Germany: Inflation rate from 1987 to 2029 (compared to the previous year). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/375207/inflation-rate-in-germany/
IMF. "Germany: Inflation Rate from 1987 to 2029 (Compared to The Previous Year)." Statista, Statista Inc., 22 Apr 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/375207/inflation-rate-in-germany/
IMF, Germany: Inflation rate from 1987 to 2029 (compared to the previous year) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/375207/inflation-rate-in-germany/ (last visited November 21, 2024)
Germany: Inflation rate from 1987 to 2029 (compared to the previous year) [Graph], IMF, April 22, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/375207/inflation-rate-in-germany/