How will the new Deutschlandticket price index work?

From 2027, increases in the Deutschlandticket price will be determined by an index. How exactly will price increases for the nationwide transport ticket be calculated?

Transport ministers finalise Deutschlandticket price index

At the Transport Ministers' Conference (VMK) on Lake Constance in Bavaria, federal and state-level transport ministers have finalised the details of the Deutschlandticket price index.

When the ticket, which entitles holders to use unlimited regional and public transport across Germany, was first introduced in May 2023, it cost 49 euros per month. The government increased the monthly subscription price to 58 euros in January 2025 and 63 euros in January 2026.

There has long been friction between the federal and state governments about how the Deutschlandticket should be funded in the long term. Previously, federal and state governments, alongside local transport associations, would undergo lengthy negotiations to determine price increases. 

When they entered government in early 2025, the CDU/CSU-SPD coalition promised the monthly cost of the Deutschlandticket would be frozen at 58 euros until 2029, but didn’t outline a funding plan. Now it has been decided that the price index will apply from 2027.

How will the Deutschlandticket price index work?

So, how will the price index work? According to the Minister for Housing, Construction and Transport in Bavaria, Christian Bernreiter (CSU), the index will follow a “complex formula” that considers employment, energy, and general costs.

It will be weighted as follows: employment costs 55 percent, energy costs 20 percent, and general costs 25 percent. From 2028 onwards, the formula will also include a “dampening factor” (Dämpfungsfaktor), which will take into account Deutschlandticket sales figures. 

According to recent figures, the Deutschlandticket was more popular than ever in 2025. Over the year, around 170,8 million Deutschlandticket subscriptions were used. Every month, an average of 14,2 million people had a Deutschlandticket subscription, nearly 20 percent of the population of Germany.

However, according to ministers, the popularity of the Deutschlandticket may lead to an extended price freeze, but is unlikely to result in a price reduction.

How much will the Deutschlandticket cost in 2027?

It is yet unclear how much the Deutschlandticket will cost in 2027 after the price index is applied for the first time.

Speaking to mdr, Infrastructure Minister for Saxony-Anhalt, Lydia Hüskens (FDP) said, “Nobody can answer that question at the moment, because we didn’t discuss the price, but how the price will be decided in the future.”

According to the local broadcaster, the 2027 price is likely to become clear at the end of September this year.