Consumer price index in January

According to Statistics Estonia, the percentage change of the consumer price index in January 2009 compared to January of the previous year was 4.1% and compared to December was -0.6%.

In January 2009 compared to January of the previous year, the prices of goods had changed by 1.0%, of which the prices of food products by 7.5% and the prices of manufactured goods by -4.2%. At the same time the prices of services have increased by 9.8%. Regulated prices of goods and services changed by 8.8% and non-regulated prices by 2.6%.

In January 2009 compared to January of the previous year, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by the expenditures on housing, which accounted for about a half of the overall change of the index and of which the price increase of heat energy gave over two thirds. The index was also greatly influenced by alcoholic beverages and tobacco (the price increase together 21.4%) and by motor fuel, the prices of which were about a quarter lower in January 2009 compared to the same month a year ago.

The change of the consumer price index compared to the same month of the previous year was less than 4% last in October and September of 2006.

In January compared to the previous month, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by the decrease in the prices of motor fuel, by sales of clothing and footwear, by price decrease of heat energy, as well as by price increase of miscellaneous services related to housing.

The weights system of the consumer price index and the base prices used in calculations are updated every year.

In 2009 the base prices used for the calculation of the consumer price index are the December prices of the year 2008. Calculations are made on the base “December 2008 = 100".

The weights system corresponds to the average expenditure structure of the population in the year 2008.

To ensure the comparison with the previous periods, the consumer price index is continued to be published on the base 1997 = 100. The linking month is December 2008.

Change of the consumer price index by commodity groups, January 2009 compared to December 2008 (December 2008 =100)

Commodity group	Weight, ‰	December 2008 - January 2009, %
TOTAL	1 000.0	-0.6
Food and non-alcoholic beverages	229.3	0.0
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco	75.3	0.2
Clothing and footwear	58.9	-5.0
Housing	158.0	0.4
Household goods	46.5	0.0
Health	38.1	2.3
Transport	147.7	-4.1
Communications	47.2	-0.1
Recreation and culture	81.5	-1.1
Education	18.1	0.7
Hotels, cafés and restaurants	45.1	0.0
Miscellaneous goods and services	54.3	3.7

Change of the consumer price index by commodity groups, January 2009 compared to January 2008

Commodity group	January 2008 - January 2009, %
TOTAL	4.1
Food and non-alcoholic beverages	2.8
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco	21.4
Clothing and footwear	0.5
Housing	13.3
Household goods	3.9
Health	7.9
Transport	-9.8
Communications	-0.8
Recreation and culture	0.6
Education	7.2
Hotels, cafés and restaurants	7.8
Miscellaneous goods and services	8.3

For further information:

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