In October, price changes related to transport and housing had the biggest impact on the consumer price index
According to Statistics Estonia, in October 2021, the consumer price index fell by 0.2% compared to September 2021 and rose by 7.0% compared to October 2020. Goods were 6.0% and services 8.9% more expensive than in October last year.
Viktoria Trasanov, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that, compared to October 2020, the consumer price index was affected the most by transport-related price changes, which contributed slightly over a third of the total rise in the index. “Petrol was 25.5% and diesel fuel 40.4% more expensive, while vehicles became 12.4% more expensive, of which 60% was caused by the higher prices of used cars,” noted Trasanov.
The price changes of housing services contributed slightly under a third of the total index change. The electricity that reached homes was 41.4%, pipeline gas 52.4% and rent 11.7% more expensive. Among food products, the biggest increase compared to October 2020 was recorded in the prices of potatoes (61.9%), low-fat milk (13.5%) and fresh fish (13.1%).
The last time that the year-on-year change of the consumer price index was 7% or higher was in December 2008 when it was also 7.0%.
Compared to September, the biggest impact on the consumer price index came from the 19% lower price of electricity that reached homes – two thirds of this price decrease resulted from the Government’s decision to compensate 50% of the network service fees to all consumers via distribution network operators. The increased prices of motor fuel also had a bigger impact on the index change, as diesel fuel was 8% and petrol 6.1% more expensive than in September.
| Commodity group | October 2020 – October 2021, % |
September 2021 – October 2021, % |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 7.0 | -0.2 |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 2.7 | -1.2 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| Clothing and footwear | 0.6 | 2.3 |
| Housing | 15.7 | -3.7 |
| Household goods | 6.2 | -0.2 |
| Health | 2.5 | 0.6 |
| Transport | 18.2 | 4.0 |
| Communications | -2.1 | 0.2 |
| Recreation and culture | 5.8 | 0.2 |
| Education | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Hotels, cafés and restaurants | 5.3 | -1.0 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 4.3 | -0.4 |
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.
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