Producer price indices - March 2006

In terms of month-on-month comparison, March producer prices grew in industry and construction work (coincidently +0.1%), in market services (+0.7%) and agriculture (+0.9%).
Year-on-year, producer prices were up in agriculture and industry (coincidently +0.3%), in construction work (+2.3%) and market services (+3.8%).
Month-on-month comparison:

Agricultural producer prices grew by 0.9%, following price increases of potatoes (+22.3%), vegetables (+1.2%), cereals (+0.9%) and cattle for slaughter (+0.7%). Down were prices of pigs for slaughter (-4.0%), poultry (-3.6%), and of fruit and milk.

The prices of industrial producers rose in March by 0.1% (+0.2% in February). Prices were up mainly in ‘coke, refined petroleum products’ (+0.8%), ‘other manufactured good n.e.c.’ (+0.8%, due to higher prices of metal secondary raw materials) and ‘basic metals and fabricated metal products’ (+0.1%). On the other hand, a decreasing effect had mainly the prices of ‘food products, beverages and tobacco’ (a drop of 0.3%; especially meat and meat products were down by 1.0%) and the prices of ‘coal and lignite, peat’ (a drop of 0.7%).

Construction work prices and construction material inputs prices rose by 0.1% and 0.4%, respectively.

The prices of market services in the business sphere grew by 0.7%, reflecting a 1.2% price increase in ‘real estate, renting and business activities’ (higher prices of TV and radio commercials by 4.1% and of architectural and engineering services by 1.2%).


Year-on-year comparison:

Agricultural producer prices were higher (+0.3%) for the first time since January 2005. The prices of crop products rose (+11.0%) due to higher prices of vegetables (+70.5%), potatoes (+40.5%), fruit (+7.3%) and oil plants (+6.7%). Cereal prices were lower (-0.7%). The prices of animal products fell by 4.2%; prices were down of poultry (-11.5%), pigs for slaughter (-8.1%) and milk (-3.5%). The prices of cattle for slaughter were up (+2.7%).

The prices of industrial producers grew by the same rate (+0.3%) over last three months. The overall price level was kept increasing in particular by prices of energy sources. Prices were up in ‘electrical energy, gas, steam and water’ (+7.5%), ‘coke, refined petroleum products’ (+14.3%) and ‘coal and lignite, peat’ (+1.0%). On the increase were also the prices of ‘machinery and equipment n.e.c.’ (+1.6%) and of ‘electrical and optical equipment’ (+0.9%). Lower prices were registered mainly for ‘basic metals, fabricated metal products’ (-6.1%) and ‘food products, beverages and tobacco’ (-2.8%).
Among the main industrial groupings, the prices of ‘energy’ grew most (+8.1%). The prices of ‘intermediate goods’ dropped (-3.0%).

Construction work prices were up by 2.3% (+2.4% in February); construction material inputs prices were up by 0.1% (- 0.2% in February).

The prices of market services in the business sphere grew by 3.8% (+4.0% in February) in total. Prices grew in ‘post and telecommunication services’ (+5.0%; price increases in telephone services), in ‘real estate, renting and business activities’ (+4.4%; higher prices of ‘advertising services’ by 14.5% and ‘architectural and engineering services’ by 5.2%; lower prices of ‘exhibition and fair service activities’ by 3.0%), and in ‘financial intermediation, except insurance and pension funding’ (+2.7%).

Industrial producer prices in the EU – February 2006*

On average for the EU member states (EU25), according to the data published by Eurostat, industrial producer prices were up by 0.4% month-on-month. Among member states, for which the data are available, the highest increases were recorded in Denmark (+2.0%), Slovakia (+1.4%), Spain and Finland (both +0.8%) and Germany (+0.7%). Prices in the Czech Republic were up by 0.2% and in the United Kingdom remained unchanged. Luxembourg is the only country where a drop was reported (-3.8%).
In terms of year-on-year comparison, prices in the EU25 were higher by 7.0% in total in February 2006, most in the United Kingdom (+15.8%), Denmark (+13.1%) and the Netherlands (+10.8%). Prices in Slovakia rose by 9.8% and in Germany by 5.9%. None of the EU member states registered a drop. The lowest February increases were observed in the Czech Republic (+0.3%) and Slovenia (+1.6%).

* Preliminary

Analysis - Producer price indices in the first quarter of 2006

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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 construction work price indices, the data published are final. Construction work price indices are refined 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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