In January, motor fuel had the biggest impact on the consumer price index
In January 2021, the consumer price index, which expresses the change in the prices of consumer goods and services, rose by 0.7% compared to December 2020 and by 0.2% compared to January 2020. Goods were 0.8% cheaper than in January 2020 and services were 2% more expensive.
Viktoria Trasanov, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that compared to January 2020, the consumer price index was affected the most by motor fuel: petrol was 9.2% and diesel fuel 20.6% cheaper. “Among housing expenditures, electricity that reached homes became 20.9% more expensive, while rents fell by 8.7%. Among food products, prices of fresh fruit rose the most, by 11%, and prices of fresh fish and potatoes fell the most, by 29% and 17%, respectively,” added Trasanov.
Compared to December 2020, the consumer price index was affected the most by 5.3% more expensive motor fuel and by comprehensive sales of clothing and footwear. A bigger impact also came from 7.3% more expensive electricity that reached homes and 10.4% more expensive fresh fruit.
As the consumption patterns of the population and prices continuously change, Statistics Estonia updates the weights system of the consumer price index and the representative goods each year. Starting from the January index, the base prices used for calculations are the prices of December 2020. To ensure comparability with previous periods, the consumer price index will continue to be published on the base 1997 = 100.
The table includes the expenditure structure, i.e. the weights of commodity groups, of 2020 as well as the expenditure structure used since January 2021 index.
| Commodity group | Weight 2021, ‰ | Weight 2020, ‰ | Change, % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2020 – January 2021, % | January 2020 – January 2021, % | |||
|
TOTAL |
1,000.0 |
1,000.0 |
0.7 |
0.2 |
|
Food and non-alcoholic beverages |
235.5 |
212.0 |
0.9 |
0.2 |
|
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco |
62.1 |
60.0 |
0.8 |
1.6 |
|
Clothing and footwear |
51.1 |
53.8 |
-5.2 |
1.1 |
|
Housing |
147.0 |
139.9 |
1.5 |
2.6 |
|
Household goods |
72.3 |
62.4 |
0.3 |
1.6 |
|
Health |
63.5 |
55.0 |
0.3 |
3.4 |
|
Transport |
133.1 |
153.4 |
2.0 |
-4.5 |
|
Communications |
51.4 |
48.4 |
0.4 |
-1.7 |
|
Recreation and culture |
76.2 |
93.9 |
0.3 |
1.3 |
|
Education |
10.0 |
10.9 |
0.2 |
1.1 |
|
Hotels, cafés and restaurants |
36.3 |
49.8 |
0.4 |
-1.0 |
|
Miscellaneous goods and services |
61.5 |
60.5 |
0.8 |
1.0 |
See also the consumer price index calculator and the prices section on the 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 data. The data help to get an overview of the situation in Estonia, allowing ministries to make informed decisions.
More detailed data have been published in the statistical database.
For further information:
Kadri Kütt
Media Relations Manager
Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 625 9181