In April, transport had the greatest impact on the consumer price index
According to Statistics Estonia, the change of the consumer price index in April 2020 was -0.4% compared to March 2020 and -0.8% compared to April of the previous year.
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Compared to April 2019, goods were 0.2% and services 1.8% cheaper. Regulated prices of goods and services fell by 7.3% and non-regulated prices rose by 0.9%.
Compared to April 2019, the consumer price index was affected the most by transport. Nearly two‑thirds of the impact of the latter came from cheaper motor fuel. Petrol was 12.4% and diesel fuel 8.8% cheaper. Electricity that reached homes was 15.1% and heat energy 3.4% cheaper. Food and non-alcoholic beverages also had a bigger impact on the index. The main contributors to their price increase were fruit, and meat and meat products, which were respectively 21.3% and 8.4% more expensive. Among food products, also crisps went up more in price (12%), while prices fell for potatoes (28%), fresh fish (19%) and fresh vegetables (18%).
Compared to March, the consumer price index was affected the most by motor fuel, which was 6% cheaper, and price increase of food and non-alcoholic beverages, mainly due to more expensive meat and meat products (3%), fruit (3.6%) and vegetables (2.2%).
| Commodity group | April 2019 – April 2020, % | March 2020 – April 2020, % |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | -0.8 | -0.4 |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 3.1 | 1.6 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | -3.4 | 0.2 |
| Clothing and footwear | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Housing | -4.9 | -1.5 |
| Household goods | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| Health | 2.1 | -0.5 |
| Transport | -6.7 | -3.1 |
| Communications | -1.2 | 0.0 |
| Recreation and culture | 3.9 | -0.7 |
| Education | -21.3 | -14.1 |
| Hotels, cafés and restaurants | 1.8 | 0.5 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 1.1 | 0.7 |
According to Viktoria Trasanov, a leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, some changes were made in the consumer price index production process in April, as emergency situation in Estonia lasted the whole month. “Instead of visiting stores, we obtained many prices from online stores, especially in the case of outlets that were temporarily closed. For sports centres, play rooms and cultural institutions, we used previous period prices. Air traffic stopped almost entirely and there were no package holidays, which means that price developments in these sub-groups were unpredictable. We calculated the monthly rate of change of the consumer price index using indices for goods and services that were sold, and applied this to air transport and package holidays. It should also be noted that the decline in the index for education was caused by the decision of municipalities not to charge place fees for kindergartens during the emergency situation,” explained Trasanov.
See also the consumer price index calculator.
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. The data help to get an overview of the situation in Estonia, allowing ministries to make informed decisions.