The cost of private health insurance in Germany is rising significantly faster than the cost of living, new figures have revealed. 

Private health insurance in Germany becoming more expensive

Premiums for privately-insured patients in Germany rose sharply at the turn of the year. According to new figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), private health insurance premiums were 4,9 percent higher in January 2021 than in December 2020. 

This puts the increase well above the rate of inflation (currently at 1,7 percent), and also above last year’s increase, when premiums rose by 2,6 percent from December 2019 to January 2020. The year before, contributions rose by 1,7 percent. 

Destatis suggests that the increase was more pronounced than usual this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, although growing costs within the healthcare system and sustained low interest rates also played a role. 

Rising premiums a long-term trend

According to the statisticians, however, the increase isn’t a blip, but a long-term trend: since 2015, private health insurance contributions have risen by almost 25 percent. General inflation over the same period of time was just 9,1 percent. 

Around 8,8 million people in Germany have private health insurance, which corresponds to 11,2 percent of the population.