In August, food and transport had the greatest impact on the change in the consumer price index
According to Statistics Estonia, the change of the consumer price index in August 2019 was 0.7% compared to July 2019 and 2.4% compared to August of the previous year.
Compared to August 2018, goods were 1.8% and services 3.3% more expensive. Regulated prices of goods and services have fallen by 0.5% and non-regulated prices risen by 3.2% compared to August of the previous year.
Compared to August 2018, the consumer price index was affected the most by food and non-alcoholic beverages, which contributed more than 40% of the total increase of the index. A half of this increase was due to 27% more expensive vegetables. Alcoholic beverages were 5.8% cheaper, diesel fuel 0.6% more expensive and petrol 0.4% cheaper. Of food products, the biggest year-on-year price increases were seen for fresh vegetables (41%), potatoes (35%) and rice (16%) and the biggest price decrease for spirits and liqueurs (9.4%).
Compared to July, the consumer price index was affected the most by transport. Plane tickets purchased for August were 26% more expensive than tickets purchased for July. A greater impact on the change in the index was also exerted by the end of the seasonal discount sales of clothing and a 5.7% increase in rent.
| Commodity group | August 2018 – August 2019, % | July 2019 – August 2019, % |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 2.4 | 0.7 |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 4.6 | 0.0 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | -1.8 | -1.3 |
| Clothing and footwear | 0.1 | 2.9 |
| Housing | 2.1 | 1.2 |
| Household goods | 2.1 | 0.1 |
| Health | 2.6 | 0.3 |
| Transport | 1.0 | 2.4 |
| Communications | -1.9 | -0.1 |
| Recreation and culture | 5.7 | 1.1 |
| Education | 4.6 | 0.3 |
| Hotels, cafés and restaurants | 1.7 | -0.4 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 2.2 | 0.2 |
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.