In February, the price increase of food had a bigger impact on the consumer price index

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Posted on 7 March 2022, 8:00

According to Statistics Estonia, in February 2022, the consumer price index rose by 1.5% compared to January 2022 and by 12.0% compared to February 2021. Goods were 10.7% and services 14.5% more expensive than in February last year.

Viktoria Trasanov, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that, compared to February 2021, the consumer price index was affected the most by housing-related price changes, which contributed over a third of the total rise in the index. Electricity that reached homes was 39.4%, central heating 27.1% and pipeline gas 84.9% more expensive. “The price changes of food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for nearly a fourth and transport for a fifth of the total increase,” said Trasanov. Petrol was 26.3% and diesel fuel 27.1% more expensive. Among food products, the biggest increase compared to February 2021 was recorded in the prices of potatoes (122%), fresh vegetables (45.4%), fresh fish (42%), other oils (26.7%) and low-fat milk (22.6%).  

Consumer price index (February 2021 = 100)

Compared to January, the biggest impact on the consumer price index came from the 3.7% price increase of food and non-alcoholic beverages. Petrol was 5.7% and diesel fuel 7.1% more expensive. The electricity that reached homes was 5.2% cheaper. Central heating was 10.8% cheaper, which was due to the Government’s decision to compensate to households in February and March 65% of the part of the central heating bill that exceeds the unit price level of October 2021.

Change of the consumer price index by commodity groups, February 2022
Commodity group February 2021 – February 2022, % January 2022 – February 2022, %
TOTAL 12.0 1.5
Food and non-alcoholic beverages 12.4 3.7
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco 3.7 1.0
Clothing and footwear 2.8 0.3
Housing 26.9 -2.9
Household goods 10.2 2.0
Health 4.8 0.3
Transport 17.9 3.5
Communications -4.6 -0.2
Recreation and culture 5.9 1.7
Education 3.1 0.2
Hotels, cafés and restaurants 8.3 1.7
Miscellaneous goods and services 5.8 1.2

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

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