German inflation jumps to 3.3% in September as energy prices rise 14.9% on the year

Germany's Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on 30 September 2026 that consumer prices were 3.3% higher than a year earlier, according to its provisional estimate for September. Prices rose 0.6% on the month. The harmonised index (HICP), the measure used for euro area comparisons, showed the same 3.3% annual rate and 0.6% monthly rise.

What drove the rise

Energy did most of the work. Energy prices, covering household energy and motor fuels, were 14.9% higher than a year earlier, after +10.5% in August and +8.3% in July. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, stayed at 2.4%, the same as in July and August.

The year-on-year figures, from Destatis's table (September is provisional):

• All items: 3.3% (August: 2.9%; July: 2.8%; June: 2.3%)
• Core, excluding food and energy: 2.4% (2.4%; 2.4%; 2.5%)
• Goods: 3.8% (3.0%)
• Services: 2.7% (2.8%)
• Energy: 14.9% (10.5%)
• Food: 0.4% (0.1%)

Goods inflation accelerated by 0.8 point while services inflation eased slightly. The pattern is the one seen across the euro area: the jump comes from energy, with underlying inflation steadier.

What it means for the euro

Germany is the euro area's largest economy, so its figure carries weight in the aggregate. The euro area flash estimate for September, published on 1 October, was 3.8%, with Germany at 3.3% on the harmonised measure (report). The European Central Bank raised its deposit rate to 2.50% on 10 September (report) and decides again on 29 October.

Destatis publishes the final September results on 13 October, which can revise the provisional figure. How inflation moves currencies explains why traders watch the gap between headline and core.