In July, food and clothing had the greatest impact on the change in the consumer price index
According to Statistics Estonia, the change of the consumer price index in July 2019 was -0.1% compared to June 2019 and 2.1% compared to July of the previous year.
Compared to July 2018, goods were 2.0% and services 2.2% more expensive. Regulated prices of goods and services fell by 1.1% and non-regulated prices rose by 3.0% compared to July of the previous year.
Compared to July 2018, the consumer price index was affected the most by food and non-alcoholic beverages, which contributed nearly a half of the total increase of the index. A half of this increase was due to 24% more expensive vegetables. Compared to July of the previous year, alcoholic beverages were 5.7%, petrol 1.7% and diesel fuel 0.2% cheaper. Of food products, the biggest year-on-year price increases were seen for potatoes (94%), fresh vegetables (20%) and rice (11%) and the biggest price decrease for spirits and liqueurs (10%).
Compared to June, in July the consumer price index was affected the most by seasonal sales of clothing and footwear. A greater impact on the index came also from food and non-alcoholic beverages, where prices of fresh vegetables decreased by 11.7%, while fruit and potato prices rose 3.5% and 20.1%, respectively. Alcoholic beverages were 3% cheaper.
| Commodity group | July 2018 – July 2019, % | June 2019 – July 2019, % |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 2.1 | -0.1 |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 4.4 | 0.8 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | -1.9 | -2.0 |
| Clothing and footwear | 2.2 | -5.2 |
| Housing | 1.2 | 0.4 |
| Household goods | 3.2 | 0.9 |
| Health | 2.5 | 0.4 |
| Transport | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| Communications | -1.9 | 0.4 |
| Recreation and culture | 5.2 | 0.2 |
| Education | 4.3 | 0.0 |
| Hotels, cafés and restaurants | 3.3 | -0.7 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 3.2 | 0.0 |
Statistics Estonia publishes the consumer price index on the 5th working day of each month after the end of the reporting period. 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 the data necessary for conducting the statistical activity.