Consumer price index decreased in October

News
Posted on 6 November 2009, 10:00

According to Statistics Estonia, the consumer price index decreased 2.2% in October 2009 compared to October 2008 and 0.1% compared to September 2009.

Compared to the same month of the previous year, the consumer price index decreased for the first time by more than 2%. Goods were 3.1% and services 0.5% cheaper compared to October of the previous year. At the same time food products were 4.7% and manufactured goods 1.6% cheaper. Regulated prices of goods and services have risen by 0.4% and non-regulated prices fallen by 2.9% compared to October of the previous year.

Compared to October of the previous year, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by the price decrease of food by 6.9%, of which dairy products accounted for over a third (price decrease 15.5%) and vegetables for more than a fourth (price decrease 20.6%). Of housing expenditures, rents have fallen 33.4% and the price of heat energy has decreased 11% compared to the same month of the previous year. Motor fuel was 5.1% cheaper.

In October compared to September, the consumer price index was mainly influenced by the termination of sales of alcoholic beverages, by the decrease in prices of motor fuel, by special offers of bread products and by the price increase of heat energy by 1.3%.

Change of the consumer price index by commodity groups, October 2009
Commodity group October 2008 –
October 2009, %
September 2009 –
October 2009, %
TOTAL -2.2 -0.1
Food and non-alcoholic beverages -6.6 -0.2
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco 1.0 1.4
Clothing and footwear 0.9 0.8
Housing -5.6 -0.1
Household goods 1.9 -0.1
Health 2.3 -0.3
Transport -3.1 -0.7
Communications 0.5 0.0
Recreation and culture -0.5 -0.7
Education 2.2 0.1
Hotels, cafés and restaurants -3.0 -0.7
Miscellaneous goods and services 7.9 0.0