German inflation stays unchanged at hotter-than-expected 2.8% in February

German annual inflation came in at an unchanged but higher-than-expected 2.8% in February, provisional data from statistics agency Destatis showed Friday.

The print is harmonized across the euro area for comparability. 

The February print compares to a 2.7% estimate from economists surveyed by Reuters. The January harmonized annual inflation reading had come in at 2.8%, unchanged from December.

German inflation had fallen below the 2% European Central Bank target in September last year, but re-accelerated after and has remained above the crucial mark for five months in a row now.

The German data arrives ahead of the consumer price index print for the euro zone on Monday and the latest ECB decision later next week. The central bank in January cut interest rates for the fifth time since starting to ease monetary policy last summer and markets are widely pricing in another trim on Thursday.

The figures are also one of the first key economic data points to be released since the German election last weekend, in which the conservative alliance between the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union secured the largest share of votes.

This puts their lead candidate Friedrich Merz in line to take over from Olaf Scholz as chancellor, although it appears likely that the CDU-CSU will form a governing coalition with Scholz’s Social Democratic Party.

Economics was a hot topic during campaigning, with Merz suggesting that his policy plans — including income and corporate tax cuts, less bureaucracy, changes to social benefits and deregulation — would give the country’s economy a needed boost. Germany’s gross domestic product has long been hovering around recession territory, and shrank 0.2% after price, seasonal and calendar adjustments in the last quarter of 2024 from the previous three months, according to Destatis.

This breaking news story is being updated.