According to the information released by the Statistics Estonia on November 7, the consumer price index increased by 3.8% YoY, but decreased by 0.2% MoM, with changes affected the most by food prices.
Compared to last October, goods were 4.8% and services 2% more expensive; regulated prices of goods and services rose by 6.6% and non-regulated prices by 3%.
Compared to October 2016, the consumer price index was affected the most by 7.9% more expensive food and non-alcoholic beverages, which contributed nearly half of the total increase of the index. More than one fourth of the latter was contributed by a 13.3% more expensive milk, dairy products and eggs, one fifth by 17.6% more expensive vegetables and one tenth by 11.3% more expensive fruit. 14.8% more expensive alcoholic beverages accounted for another fifth of the total increase of the index, 60% of which in turn was contributed by a 26% more expensive beer. Of food products, the biggest price increases were seen for butter (59%), potatoes (33%), and fresh vegetables (24%).
The price increase of motor fuel also had a greater impact on the index, as gasoline was 7.5% and diesel fuel 9% more expensive than in October 2016.
In October, compared to September, the consumer price index was affected the most by a 3.5% less expensive electricity that reached homes.
A greater impact on the monthly change of the index was also made by the establishing of a ceiling for covering the food costs of children in municipal kindergarten institutions in Tallinn, which covers the majority of food costs and made kindergarten services for the citizens of Tallinn less expensive.
Plane tickets purchased for October were also 13% less expensive than tickets bought for September.
Fresh vegetables, meanwhile, were 12.5% more expensive than one month ago. (ERR/Business World Magazine)