Consumer price index in March

According to Statistics Estonia, the percentage change of the consumer price index in March 2009 compared to February was -0.5% and compared to March 2008 was 2.0%.

The change of the consumer price index compared to the same month of the previous year was below 2% last in April 2004, when it was 1.3%.

In March 2009 compared to March of the previous year, the prices of goods had changed by -0.3%, of which the prices of food products had increased by 5.0% and the prices of manufactured goods had decreased by -4.7%. The prices of services had increased by 6.5%. Regulated prices of goods and services changed by 6.8% and non-regulated prices by 0.6%.

Compared to March 2008, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by alcoholic beverages and tobacco (the price increase together 19.9%), by the price decrease of motor fuel (23.3%) and by the price increase of heat energy (19.1%).

In March compared to the previous month, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by the price decrease of heat energy by 7%. The decrease of rental prices, special sales of cars and the decrease in the prices of milk and dairy products had also a remarkable impact on the consumer price index.

Change of the consumer price index by commodity groups, March 2009

Commodity group	March 2008 – March 2009, %	February 2009 – March 2009, %
TOTAL	2.0	-0.5
Food and non-alcoholic beverages	0.1	-0.3
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco	19.9	-0.4
Clothing and footwear	0.4	1.1
Housing	7.2	-2.9
Household goods	3.3	-0.5
Health	5.7	-0.1
Transport	-10.2	-0.3
Communications	-0.8	0.0
Recreation and culture	1.0	0.4
Education	6.3	0.0
Hotels, cafés and restaurants	3.6	-0.2
Miscellaneous goods and services	7.3	-0.1

For further information:

Viktoria Trasanov
Head of Price and Wages Statistics Department
Statistical Office of Estonia
Tel: +372 625 9240