Electricity price increase in September brought the fastest rise of the CPI in 13 years

News
Posted on 7 October 2021, 8:00

According to Statistics Estonia, in September 2021, the consumer price index changed by 1.2% compared to August 2021 and by 6.6% compared to September 2020. Goods were 4.6% and services 10.4% more expensive than in September last year.

Viktoria Trasanov, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that, compared to September 2020, the consumer price index was affected the most by a 74.5% increase in the price of electricity that reached homes, contributing a third of the index change. “Among housing services, 30.1% more expensive pipeline gas and 10% more expensive rents had also a bigger impact on the index change. The price increase of motor fuel continued to have a significant impact on the index: petrol was 19% and diesel fuel 28.5% more expensive. Among food products, the biggest increase was recorded in the prices of potatoes (79.3%), fresh vegetables (30.7%) and other edible oils (14%),” added Trasanov.

Consumer price index (September 2020 = 100)

The last time that the year-on-year change of the consumer price index was more than 6.6% was in December 2008 when it was 7.0%.

Compared to August, mainly the price increase of housing services affected the consumer price index. In the month, electricity that reached homes became 23.6% and pipeline gas 12.7% more expensive. The end of sales of clothing and footwear and a slight decrease in the prices of fresh fruits and vegetables also had a bigger impact.

Change of the consumer price index by commodity groups, September 2021

Commodity group

September 2020 –
September 2021 %

August 2021 –
September 2021, %

TOTAL

6.6

1.2

Food and non-alcoholic beverages

3.3

-0.6

Alcoholic beverages and tobacco

1.4

0.2

Clothing and footwear

-1.8

5.1

Housing

20.2

7.1

Household goods

6.0

0.9

Health

2.4

0.0

Transport

13.0

0.3

Communications

-2.8

-0.6

Recreation and culture

5.1

0.3

Education

2.4

1.3

Hotels, cafés and restaurants

4.5

-3.2

Miscellaneous goods and services

3.5

0.6

See also the consumer price index calculator and the prices section on the website.

For the statistical activity “Consumer price index”, the main representative of public interest is the Ministry of Finance, commissioned by whom Statistics Estonia collects and analyses data.

More detailed data have been published in the statistical database.

 

For further information:

Kadri Kütt
Media Relations Manager

Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 625 9181

Photo: Shutterstock

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