However, in May 2006, the downward price trend for package holidays (–6.1 percent) and accommodation services (–0.6 percent) had a downward effect on the year-on-year rate of price increase.
The main reason is a calendar effect: In 2005, Pentecost was already in May. For seasonal reasons, smaller price increases were observed for package holidays and accommodation services (+1.2 percent and +2.2 percent, respectively) compared with the previous month.
The prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose an average 1.5 percent in May 2006 on a year earlier. Food prices were up especially for vegetables (+6.4 percent, including leek: +45.7 percent and lettuce: +24.0 percent).
Prices of fish and seafood increased markedly, too (+5.0 percent on a year earlier). However, fruit prices were down (–1.1 percent; including oranges: –7.6 percent and bananas: –6.6 percent).
The price trend for non-alcoholic beverages (+3.6 percent on May 2005) has still been characterised by rising coffee prices (pure coffee: +9.1 percent).
Compared with April 2006, food prices rose 0.9 percent altogether, including seasonal price rises for vegetables (+5.0 percent; including potatoes: +20.6 percent; lettuce: +14.4 percent) and for fruit (+1.6 percent).
A consumer-friendly year-on-year price trend was again shown by consumer durables (–0.4 percent).
Clearly lower prices were recorded, among other things, for information processing equipment (–6.1 percent; including personal computers: –11.2 percent and monitors: –8.5 percent), photographic and cinematographic equipment (–8.2 percent) as well as telephone and fax equipment (–12.2 percent).
The harmonised consumer price index for Germany, which is calculated for European purposes, rose by 2.1 percent in May 2006 compared with May 2005.
Compared with the previous month, the index was up 0.2 percent. The estimate of 26 May 2006 was thus confirmed.
Federal Statistical Office Germany
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