Consumer price index in December

News
Posted on 8 January 2009, 10:00

According to Statistics Estonia, the percentage change of the consumer price index in December 2008 compared to November was -0.2% and compared to December 2007 was 7.0%.

In December compared to December of the previous year, the prices of goods had changed by 4.1%, of which the prices of food products by 10.6% and the prices of manufactured goods

by -1.0%. At the same time the prices of services have increased by 12.5%. Regulated prices of goods and services changed by 20.3% and non-regulated prices by 3.3%.

Compared to December 2007, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by the expenditures on housing, which accounted for over a third of the overall change of the index and of which the heat energy, electricity and heating gave over 90%. Compared to December of the previous year, alcoholic beverages (price increase 18.2%) and tobacco (50.5%) accounted for over a fifth and food for about a sixth of the overall change of the index.

The change of the consumer price index compared to the same month of the previous year was less than 7% last in August 2007 before the beginning of the larger price increase of food.

In December compared to November, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by the decrease in the prices of motor fuel (by 8.1%).

Change of the consumer price index by commodity groups, December 2008

Commodity group December 2007 –
December 2008, %
November 2008 –
December 2008, %
TOTAL 7.0 -0.2
Food and non-alcoholic beverages 5.4 0.5
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco 26.5 -0.2
Clothing and footwear 2.2 -0.4
Housing 17.0 -0.2
Household goods 4.6 -0.2
Health 6.6 0.0
Transport -1.6 -2.8
Communications -1.2 0.0
Recreation and culture 2.6 1.7
Education 9.0 0.0
Hotels, cafés and restaurants 8.6 0.1
Miscellaneous goods and services 6.3 0.1