Home > News > News and press releases > Press releases 2001 > Inflation 3.0 per cent in April

14 May 2001

Inquiries: Mr Timo Koskimäki +358 9 1734 3479, Ms Mari Suviranta +358 9 1734 3501, Mr Juhani Pekkarinen +358 9 1734 3476
Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices: Ms Mari Ylä-Jarkko +358 9 1734 3310
Director in charge: Mr Jarmo Hyrkkö

Inflation 3.0 per cent in April

According to Statistics Finland, the year-on-year change in consumer prices, i.e. inflation, was 3.0 per cent in April. The rate of inflation was almost unchanged, for in March it was 2.9 per cent.

In April 0.9 percentage points of inflation was due to higher housing prices: housing loan interest rates, rents and dwelling maintenance costs rose. Increased food prices put inflation up by good 0.4 percentage points, as did higher prices of culture and leisure goods and services. The impact of higher transport prices on inflation was almost 0.4 per cent. Inflation was curbed in April by a slight fall in dwelling prices and by lower prices of vegetables.

From March to April, consumer prices went up by 0.5 per cent, which was primarily due to higher price of petrol and the end of seasonal clothing sales.

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Inflation indicators in Finland, April 2001
	Point figure	Change on one year	Change on one month
Consumer Price Index (1995=100)	110.5	3.0%	0.5%
Cost of Living Index (1951:10=100)	1,536
Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (1996=100)	109.5	2.8%	0.5%

Each mid-month, Statistics Finland interviewers collect over 50,000 prices from approximately 2,000 outlets for the Consumer Price Index. In addition, some 600 items of price data are gathered by centralised collection.

Inflation in EMU countries 2.6 per cent in March

According to the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, the rate of inflation in the member countries of the EMU was 2.6 per cent in March, i.e. same as in February. Inflation in the EMU was fastest in Portugal, at 5.1 per cent and slowest in France, at 1.4 per cent. The corresponding figure for Finland stood at 2.5 per cent. In the EU Member States, inflation was 2.3 per cent in March.

The Finnish point figure on the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (1996=100) for April rose by 2.8 per cent from the previous year. The index went up by 0.5 per cent from March to April. Eurostat will publish the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices for April on 16 May.

Source: Consumer Price Index 2001, April. Statistics Finland