The German federal statistical office (Destatis) reported on Tuesday that wholesale selling prices in Germany rose by 6.8 percent in August 2026 compared to August 2025. This increase follows a growth rate of 5.3 percent in July 2026 and 4.9 percent in June 2026. The most significant price jump recorded recently was in February 2023, which registered a 9.5 percent increase compared to February 2022.
The primary driver for the August price hike was the sharp increase in mineral oil products, whose prices were 36.1 percent higher than those recorded in August 2025. These products also rose by 4.8 percent compared to the previous month, July 2026.
Overall, the rising wholesale prices were notably influenced by ongoing military actions in Iran and the Middle East, which particularly inflated the prices of energy products and raw materials. Wholesale prices increased by 0.9 percent compared to July 2026.
Other contributing factors to the overall rise included non-iron ores, metals, and metal semi-finished goods, which rose by 27.4 percent compared to August 2025 (and 1.3 percent compared to July 2026). Similarly, prices for chemical products increased by 13.6 percent compared to August 2025 (0.3 percent compared to July 2026). Data processing and peripheral devices were also 11.1 percent more expensive wholesale than in the previous year (plus 1.5 percent over July 2026).
Conversely, August 2026 saw price drops in certain segments. Wholesale prices for live animals fell by 18.3 percent compared to August 2025, and by 1.0 percent compared to July 2026. Price declines were also observed in milk, dairy products, eggs, edible oils, and fats-all down 10.3 percent from August 2025 (and 0.6 percent from July 2026). Furthermore, meat and meat products dropped by 6.7 percent compared to August 2025 (and 0.9 percent compared to July 2026).
