Producer price indices - February 2006

In terms of month-on-month comparison, February producer prices grew in industry and construction work (coincidently by 0.2%) and in market services (by 1.8%). Agricultural producer prices fell by 2.1%.
Year-on-year, prices of industrial producers, construction work and market services were higher by 0.3%, 2.4% and 4.0%, respectively. Agricultural producer prices fell by 1.7%.
Month-on-month comparison:

Agricultural producer prices fell by 2.1%. Price decreases were recorded for pigs for slaughter (-4.4%), poultry (-3.2%), also for vegetables, fruit and milk. On the other hand, the prices of potatoes (+15.4%), cereals (+2.0%) and cattle for slaughter (+0.8%) increased.

National industrial producer prices grew by 0.2%. Prices increased primarily in ‘machinery and equipment n.e.c.’ (+1.4%), ‘coke and refined petroleum products’ (+1.2%) and ‘chemicals, chemical products and man-made fibres’ (+1.0%). The decrease of prices in ‘transport equipment’ has been continuing since November 2005 (-0.6% in February).

Construction work prices and construction material inputs prices rose by 0.2% and 0.1%, respectively.

Prices of market services in the business sphere grew by 1.8%, which is the highest month-on-month increase since March 2002. Higher were particularly prices in ‘real estate, renting and business activities’ (+3.2%; higher prices of TV and radio commercials by 11.2% and of architectural and engineering services by 2.6%). Price increases were also recorded in national goods transport (+0.9%) and insurance (+0.2%). The prices of ‘post and telecommunication services’ fell by 1.0% (a temporary decrease of the charge for installation of a residential telephone station and more free minutes on the one hand, and higher prices of state postal services on the other hand).


Year-on-year comparison:

Agricultural producer prices were lower by 1.7% (-3.0% in January). The prices of crop products rose (+2.0%) for the first time since September 2004, due to higher prices of vegetables (+53.7%), fruit (+11.6%) and potatoes (+7.3%, for the first time in last 20 months). The prices of cereals were lower (-4.9%). The prices of animal products fell by 3.1%; prices were down of poultry (-9.5%), pigs for slaughter (-5.9%) and milk (-2.8%). The prices of cattle for slaughter were up (+3.6%).

Industrial producer prices were higher by 0.3% (like in January). Mainly prices of energy sources kept the overall price level increasing. The prices of ‘electrical energy, gas, steam and water’ were higher by 7.6% year-on-year (like in January) and of ‘coke, refined petroleum products’ by 16.5% (+15.4% in January). More moderate increases were recorded in other branches. The prices of ‘machinery and equipment n.e.c.’ rose by 1.8%, of ‘chemical, chemical products and man-made fibres’ by 1.0% and of ‘electrical and optical equipment’ by 0.7%. On the other hand, increase in the overall price level was moderated by the fall of prices in ‘basic metals, fabricated metal products’ (-5.9%), ‘food products, beverages and tobacco’ (-2.8%) and ‘transport equipment’ (-1.5%).
Among the main industrial groupings, the prices of ‘energy’ (+8.6%) grew most. The prices of ‘intermediate goods’ dropped (-3.0%).

Construction work prices were higher by 2.4% (+2.5% in January); construction material inputs prices were lower by 0.2% (as against a 0.2% rise in January).

Prices of market services in the business sphere grew by 4.0% (+3.0% in January) in total, which is the highest year-on-year increase since December 2002. Prices grew in ‘post and telecommunication services’ (+5.0%, price increases in telephone services), ‘real estate, renting and business activities’ (+4.4%, price increases in ‘advertising services’ by 14.1% and in ‘architectural and engineering services’ by 4.3%), and also in ‘financial intermediation, except insurance and pension funding’ (+2.7%).

Industrial producer prices in the EU – January 2006*

On average for the EU member states (EU25), according to the data published by Eurostat, industrial producer prices were up by 1.1% month-on-month in January 2006. Among member states for which data are available, the highest increases were recorded in Luxembourg (+3.1%), the Netherlands (+3.0%) and Lithuania (+2.7%). Prices in Germany were up by 1.2% and in Slovakia by 1.4% (in the Czech Republic +1.0%). Decreases were recorded only in Ireland and Slovenia (both -0,1%).

In terms of year-on-year comparison, prices in the EU25 grew by 7.1% in total in January 2006, most in the United Kingdom (+16.7%), Denmark (+12.3%) and the Netherlands (+11.7%). Prices in Slovakia rose by 8.7% and in Germany by 5.6%. None of the EU member states registered a drop. The lowest increases were observed in the Czech Republic (+0.3%) and Slovenia (+1.3%).

* Preliminary

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Note
Contact: Hana Sykorova, phone (+420) 274 054 101, e-mail: hana.sykorova@csu.gov.cz
Miloslav Beranek, phone (+420) 274 052 665, e-mail: miloslav.beranek@csu.gov.cz
Data source: CZSO survey
End of data collection / end of data processing:
Agricultural producer price indices: 24th calendar day of reference month / 8th calendar day of the following month
Industrial producer price indices: 12th calendar day of reference month / 7th calendar day of the following month
Construction work price indices: last calendar day of reference month / 5th working day of the following month
Price indices of market services: 15th calendar day of reference month / 7th calendar day of the following month
Except for price indices of construction work, the data published are final. Construction work price indices are updated using the finished quarterly survey and final data are released on the 45th calendar day of the following quarter.
Related publications: 7001-06 Price Indices of Construction Work, Types of Constructions and Costs of Construction Output
7003-06 Producer Price Indices – Basic Information
7004-06 Industrial Producer Price Indices
7005-06 Agricultural Producer Price Indices
7008-06 Price Indices of Market Services in the Business Sphere
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