Consumer price index in September

News
Posted on 7 October 2009, 11:00

According to Statistics Estonia, the consumer price index decreased 1.6% in September 2009 compared to September of the previous year and 0.2% compared to August 2009.

Compared to the same month of the previous year, the consumer price index decreased for the first time by more than 1%. In September goods were 3.7% cheaper and services 2.3% more expensive compared to September of the previous year. From goods food products were 5.1% and manufactured goods were 2.4% cheaper.

Regulated prices of goods and services have risen by 2.2% and non-regulated prices fallen by 2.8% compared to September of the previous year.

Compared to September of the previous year, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by the price decrease of food and motor fuel that were respectively 6.9% and 11.4% cheaper than at the same time a year ago. Milk and dairy products (price decrease 15.9%) as well as fruits and vegetables gave more than two fifths of the impact of food on the index. Fruits were 15% and vegetables 19.8% cheaper than a year ago.

In September compared to August, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by the 1.4% price decrease of food, of which nearly a half was caused by the seasonal price decrease of vegetables and nearly a fifth by the 6.2% price decrease of bread. The consumer price index was also more notably influenced by the end of sales and by coming on the market of new seasonal clothing and footwear and also by the price decrease of motor fuel.

Change of the consumer price index by commodity groups, September 2009
Commodity group September 2008 –
September 2009, %
August 2009 –
September 2009, %
TOTAL -1.6 -0.2
Food and non-alcoholic beverages -6.6 -1.3
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco -0.7 -0.6
Clothing and footwear 1.5 3.5
Housing 0.5 0.4
Household goods 2.9 0.2
Health 2.8 0.0
Transport -5.5 -0.6
Communications 0.6 0.0
Recreation and culture -0.6 -0.1
Education 2.2 0.9
Hotels, cafés and restaurants -2.6 -0.8
Miscellaneous goods and services 8.1 -0.3