Consumer price indices - inflation - April 2013

Consumer prices in April increased by 0.1% compared with March. This rise came primarily from price increases in 'clothing and footwear' and 'alcoholic beverages, tobacco'. The year-on-year growth of consumer prices amounted to 1.7% in April (the same as in February and March).

The month-on-month increase in consumer prices came primarily from the seasonal growth of prices in clothing and footwear (3.7% and 9.2%, respectively). In alcoholic beverages, prices of spirits rose by 5.1%, beer by 1.3% and wine by 0.8%. In 'miscellaneous goods and services', prices of beauty products were higher by 3.1%.

A contrary effect on the consumer price level owed mainly to a decrease in prices in 'food and non-alcoholic beverages', where prices of rolls and baguettes dropped by 4.3%, eggs by 6.6%, yoghurts by 4.0%, fruit by 1.7%, vegetables by 1.8%, sugar by 1.0%. In 'communication', prices of telephone and telefax services and prices of mobile phones were lower (-1.5% and -2.3%, respectively). Prices of automotive fuel, after three consecutive months of growth, fell (-1.3%) in April.

Prices of goods in total rose (0.3%), while prices of services decreased (-0.1%).

In terms of the year-on-year comparison, in April, the increase in consumer prices was 1.7% (the same as in March). However, the price development was for some divisions of the consumer basket different in these months. An acceleration of the price growth was shown in 'alcoholic beverages, tobacco', where prices of spirits rose by 8.2% in April (a drop by 0.9% in March). In 'food and non-alcoholic beverages', the increase in prices accelerated in April primarily due to the rise in prices of bread and cereals to 3.0% from 1.2% in March, milk to 6.4% from 3.8% in March, oils and fats to 3.1% from 0.7% in March, potatoes to 58.8% from 51.6% in March, vegetables cultivated for their fruit to 13.3% from 3.3% in March, cocoa to 10.2% from 4.8% in March. On the other hand, a more significant fall in prices in April compared with March occurred primarily in 'communication', where prices of telephone and telefax services were lower by 6.4% (4.4% in March). Similarly, in 'transport', the drop in prices deepened due to lower prices of automotive fuel by 3.7% (0.9% in March).

A decisive upward effect on the y-o-y consumer price level came, as before, from prices in 'food and non-alcoholic beverages' and 'housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels'. In 'housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels', the net actual rentals went up by 2.7%, water supply by 6.6%, sewerage collection by 7.1%, prices of natural gas by 2.1%, electricity by 3.3%, heat and hot water by 4.5%. In 'health', amounts paid by patients for drugs were up 5.8%. In 'miscellaneous goods and services', prices of social protection rose by 4.8%.

The reduction of the y-o-y price growth came, albeit in a slightly slower rate, from a drop in prices in 'clothing and footwear' by 2.5% (-3.4% in March).
Prices of goods in total and prices of services rose (2.0% and 1.4%, respectively). The overall consumer price index excluding imputed rentals was 101.9%, year-on-year.

Inflation rate, i.e. the increase in the average consumer price index in the twelve months to April 2013 compared with the average CPI in the previous twelve months, stood at 2.7% in April.

According to preliminary data of Eurostat, the year-on-year increase in the average harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) ¹⁾ in the EU27 member states was 1.9% in March, i.e. 0.1 percentage point down on February. The highest annual rate was observed in Romania (4.4%). On the other hand, a y-o-y price drop (-0.2%) occurred in Greece in March. In Germany, the price rise amounted to 1.8% in March (the same as in February). In Slovakia, the price increase slowed down to 1.9% in March (2.2% in February). According to preliminary calculations, the HICP in the Czech Republic in April 2013 amounted to 0.2%, month-on-month, and was 1.7% (1.5% in March), year-on-year. The MUICP (Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices) flash estimate for the Eurozone in April 2013 was 1.2%, y-o-y, as Eurostat announced (more information on the Eurostat’s web pages: HICP).
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¹⁾ So far, imputed rentals have been excluded from the HICP.


Notes:
Responsible manager of the CZSO: Jiri Mrazek, Department Director, email: jiri.mrazek@csu.gov.cz
Contact: Pavla Sediva, phone (+420) 274052138, email: pavla.sediva@csu.gov.cz
Method of data collection: Direct field survey of prices, centrally surveyed prices and reporting
End of data collection: 20th day of the reference month/ End of data processing: 3rd day of the month that follows the reference month
Related publications: 7101-13 Consumer Price Indices – Basic Breakdown (periodicity: monthly) and 7103-13 Consumer Price Indices – Detailed Breakdown (periodicity: annually)
Related documents available on the CZSO website: 710344-13 Consumer Price Indices – Detailed Breakdown (periodicity: monthly)
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Next News Release: 10 June 2013

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