Consumer price index in December

According to Statistics Estonia, the consumer price index increased 0.1% in December 2009 compared to November and decreased 1.7% compared to December 2008.

Goods were 1.4% and services 2.4% cheaper compared to December 2008. Food products were 5.1% cheaper and manufactured goods were 2.0% more expensive.

Regulated prices of goods and services have risen by 3.8% and non-regulated prices fallen by 3.4% compared to December 2008.

Compared to December 2008, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by the 7.3% decrease in the prices of food, of which dairy products gave one third (the price decrease 13.6%) and the 15% cheaper vegetables and fruits gave another third. The index was more notably influenced also by the 18.3% more expensive motor fuel and by the 16.4% cheaper heat energy.

In December compared to November, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by higher prices of the end-of-year holiday tours, end of sales of food and increased prices of motor fuel. The prices of fresh vegetables increased the most (9.8%) and the prices of flour decreased the most (8%) compared to the previous month.

Change of the consumer price index by commodity groups, December 2009
Commodity group	December 2008 – December 2009, %	November 2009 – December 2009, %
TOTAL	-1.7	0.1
Food and non-alcoholic beverages	-6.8	0.5
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco	0.2	-0.4
Clothing and footwear	0.8	-0.1
Housing	-7.1	-0.3
Household goods	0.7	-0.5
Health	2.6	0.3
Transport	4.5	0.4
Communications	0.7	0.0
Recreation and culture	-2.5	1.2
Education	1.8	0.0
Hotels, cafés and restaurants	-3.4	-0.2
Miscellaneous goods and services	7.3	-0.2

For further information:

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