Increased fuel prices influenced the consumer price index for March
According to Statistics Estonia, in March, the consumer price index remained at the same level as in February and increased by 3.6% compared with March 2025. Goods were 3.4% and services 3.8% more expensive than in March last year.
Lauri Veski, the Consumer Price Statistics Service Manager at Statistics Estonia, said that diesel fuel and petrol prices have risen to record levels due to the armed conflicts in the Middle East, and this had a significant impact on the consumer price index for March.
The rise in the consumer price index in March year on year was influenced the most by the increase in the prices of food products (4.2%), transport (7%) and health products and services (11.7%). “In transport, prices were mainly driven up by the higher cost of diesel fuel and petrol. The increased prices in the health group are related to the revision of the price lists of health care services in April last year. The index rise was slowed down by the prices of clothing and footwear which fell by 5.6% year on year,” said Veski.
Compared with March last year, prices were up by 9.2% for fresh or frozen meat, by 12.2% for chocolate and by 14.2% for coffee. The price of butter has fallen for five months in a row, and in March butter was 24.9% cheaper than in March last year.
Compared with February, the index for March was influenced the most by 14.1% cheaper electricity and by 0.6% cheaper food and non-alcoholic beverages. The increase in the prices of diesel fuel (26.8%) and petrol (14.2%) had the opposite effect on the index.
The fall in food prices compared with February was mainly due to the decrease in the prices of vegetables (2.6%), coffee (6.1%) and butter (13.3%).
Consumer price index, March 2025 = 100
| Consumer price index | |
|---|---|
| March 2025 | 100.00 |
| April 2025 | 101.02 |
| May 2025 | 101.08 |
| June 2025 | 101.96 |
| July 2025 | 102.61 |
| August 2025 | 103.67 |
| September 2025 | 102.51 |
| October 2025 | 102.50 |
| November 2025 | 102.33 |
| December 2025 | 101.72 |
| January 2026 | 102.77 |
| February 2026 | 103.57 |
| March 2026 | 103.57 |
Commodity group | February 2026 – | March 2025 – |
TOTAL | 0 | 3.6 |
Food and non-alcoholic beverages | -0.6 | 4.2 |
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 0.6 | 7.7 |
Clothing and footwear | 1.5 | -5.6 |
Housing | -3.8 | 2 |
Household goods | -0.4 | 1.7 |
Health | 0 | 11.7 |
Transport | 6.8 | 7 |
Information and communication | -0.2 | 0.2 |
Recreation and leisure | -0.9 | 1.1 |
Education | 0 | 0.9 |
Restaurants and accommodation | 0.1 | 4 |
Insurance and financial services | 1.7 | -11.7 |
Miscellaneous goods and services | -0.2 | 4.8 |
See also the consumer price index calculator and the prices section on our website.
For the statistical activity “Consumer price index”, the main representative of public interest is the Ministry of Finance, commissioned by whom Statistics Estonia collects and analyses the data.
Data as at 7 April 2026 are published. The indicator values may change if there are any revisions made in the data sources after this date.
More detailed data have been published in the statistical database.
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For further information:
Kaia-Liisa Tabri
Communications Partner
Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 5196 9617
press [at] stat.ee (press[at]stat[dot]ee)