In January, the annual change in the consumer price index was influenced the most by motor fuel and food

News
Posted on 7 February 2017, 10:00

According to Statistics Estonia, the change of the consumer price index in January 2017 was 0.4% compared to December 2016 and 2.7% compared to January of the previous year.

Compared to January 2016, goods were 3.3% and services 1.7% more expensive. Regulated prices of goods and services have risen by 7.4% and non-regulated prices by 1.5% compared to January of the previous year.

Compared to January 2016, the consumer price index was influenced the most by motor fuel, which constituted close to 40% of the growth. Petrol was 19.4% and diesel fuel 26.1% more expensive than in January of the previous year. A 3.7% increase in the prices of food, which was influenced the most by an 8.2% increase in the prices of milk, dairy products and eggs, and 11.2% increase in the prices of fish and fish products also had a greater impact on the index. Compared to January 2016, of food products, the biggest increase occurred in the prices of processed fruit and sugar (29%) and decrease in the price of poultry meat (6%).

Compared to December 2016, the consumer price index was influenced the most by a 1.4% increase in the prices of food, of which close to 4/7 were contributed by 4.5% more expensive milk, dairy products and eggs, and 1/7 by 2.4% more expensive fruit. Comprehensive sales of clothes and footwear also had a greater impact on the index.

Due to continuous changes in consumption patterns and prices, Statistics Estonia updates the weights system of the consumer price index and the representative goods every year. In 2017, the weights system of the consumer price index corresponds to the average expenditure structure of the population in 2016. The base prices used for calculations are December prices of the year 2016. To ensure comparability with previous periods, the consumer price index is continued to be published on the base 1997 = 100. The linking month is December 2016. The consumer price index is published on the 5th working day of the month following the end of the reference month. The table presents the expenditure structure (weights) used in 2016, as well as the expenditure structure used since the index of January 2017.

Change of the consumer price index by commodity groups, January 2017
Commodity group Weight 2016, ‰ Weight 2017, ‰ December 2016 – January 2017, % January 2016 – January 2017, %
TOTAL 1000.0 1000.0 0.4 2.7
Food and non-alcoholic beverages 232.4 226.8 1.4 3.7
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco 73.1 69.9 1.8 6.9
Clothing and footwear 56.8 57.9 -4.5 0.7
Housing 143.4 145.5 0.9 0.5
Household goods 60.0 61.7 0.2 -0.1
Health 52.0 52.5 0.7 2.1
Transport 137.4 136.5 -0.1 7.4
Communications 47.8 47.3 0.0 -1.6
Recreation and culture 88.9 89.6 0.6 -0.3
Education 12.0 11.8 2.0 3.0
Hotels, cafés and restaurants 43.1 44.9 0.4 2.9
Miscellaneous goods and services 53.1 55.6 -0.5 2.0

Statistics Estonia publishes the consumer price index on the 5th working day of each month, after the end of the reporting period. 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 necessary for conducting the statistical activity.