Consumer price index in August was mainly influenced by food and housing

News
Posted on 7 September 2011, 11:00
According to Statistics Estonia, the change of the consumer price index was 0.3% in August 2011 compared to July and 5.5% compared to August of the previous year.

Goods were 6.8% and services 3.2% more expensive compared to August of the previous year.

Regulated prices of goods and services have risen by 7.7% and non-regulated prices by 4.7% compared to August of the previous year.

Compared to August of the previous year, the index was mainly influenced by a 10.8% price increase of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which gave almost a half of the total increase of the index. Housing expenditures gave nearly a quarter of the total increase, of which price increase of electricity, heat energy and fuel by 8.4% gave two thirds. Compared to the same period a year ago, the prices of coffee (58%) and sugar (55%) have increased the most. More than a 30% increase was reported in the prices of apples, groats, vegetable oil and flour (37%, 36%, 36% and 31%, respectively). Eggs were 15% and other fruits 13% cheaper than last year.

In August compared to July, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by the price increase of electricity by 8.3% and the seasonal decrease in the prices of vegetables by 9%. The offers of mobile telecommunication services, end of sales of clothing and footwear, 2.2% price increase of motor fuel and 23% price decrease of potatoes also had a bigger impact on the index. Compared to July, grapes were by 36% and fresh cabbage by 27% cheaper.

Change of the consumer price index by commodity groups, August 2011
Commodity group August 2010 –
August 2011, %
July 2011 –
August 2011, %
TOTAL 5.5 0.3
Food and non-alcoholic beverages 10.8 -1.0
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco 6.9 -0.9
Clothing and footwear 5.2 2.7
Housing 7.3 2.8
Household goods 1.4 0.3
Health 0.2 0.4
Transport 5.6 0.9
Communications -9.3 -3.6
Recreation and culture 0.5 -0.5
Education 2.3 0.5
Hotels, cafés and restaurants 7.4 0.3
Miscellaneous goods and services 2.3 0.4