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Published: 14 May 2012

Inflation 3.1 per cent in April

The year-on-year change in consumer prices, i.e. inflation, calculated by Statistics Finland accelerated slightly, for in April it stood at 3.1 per cent. In March it stood at 2.9 per cent. The slight acceleration of inflation was primarily due to the rise in vehicle tax.

Inflation indicators in Finland, April 2012

	Point figure	Change on one year	Change on one month
Consumer Price Index 2010=100	106,4	3,1 %	0,3 %
Cost-of-living Index 1951:10=100	1 863
Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices 2005=100	117,6	3,0 %	0,2 %
Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices at Constant Taxes 2005=100	115,9	2,1 %	0,2 %

In April, consumer prices were raised most from the previous year by higher prices of housing, transport and food. Housing costs were pushed up particularly by rises in rents and interest rates, and transport costs were raised above all by increased prices of fuels and risen vehicle tax. Food prices went up most due to higher prices of meat and dairy products. Increases in prices of alcoholic beverages and restaurant and café services similarly had a great impact on inflation. The rise in consumer prices was curbed most in April by fallen prices of consumer electronics and telecommunications services from the year before.

From March to April, consumer prices went up by 0.3 per cent, primarily due to the rise in vehicle tax and higher price of petrol.

Each mid-month, Statistics Finland interviewers collect altogether around 50,000 prices on 483 commodities from approximately 2,700 outlets for the Consumer Price Index. In addition, some 1,000 items of price data are gathered by centralised collection. Consumer Price Index 2005=100 Handbook for Users can be found on the CPI home page at www.stat.fi. The new Consumer Price Index 2010=100 Handbook for Users will be published later.

According to preliminary data, inflation in the euro area was 2.6 per cent in April

According to the preliminary data on the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, the rate of inflation in the euro area was 2.6 per cent in April. In March it stood at 2.7 per cent. The corresponding figure for Finland was 3.0 per cent in April.

The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices does not include owner-occupancy, games of chance, interests on consumption and other credits, fire insurance on owner-occupied dwellings or vehicle tax. The consumption items included in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices as well as the rules governing its compilation have been defined in EU regulations.

Eurostat’s estimate of inflation in the euro area is based on preliminary data from the Member States and on the price development of energy. Eurostat will publish detailed data on Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices for April on 16 May. Information of inflation in EU countries is available on Eurostat homepage, eurostat (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat).

The year-on-year change in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices at Constant Taxes was 2.1 per cent in April

The year-on-year change in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices stood at 3.0 per cent in April and that in the Index at Constant Taxes measuring market price changes at 2.1 per cent. Over twelve months, the combined raising impact on consumer prices from changes in commodity tax rates was thus 0.9 percentage points. The month-on-month change in both the Harmonised Index and the Index of Consumer Prices at Constant Taxes was 0.2 per cent in April. The car tax was raised in April.

Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices at Constant Taxes

The inflation measured by Consumer Price Index consists mainly of products and services priced by enterprises and the public sector, and value added and commodity taxes. Some 25 per cent of the private consumption described by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) consists of value added or other taxes. The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices at Constant Taxes (HICP-CT) is based on the HICP so the two indices have the same weight structure and price data. HICP-CT is calculated with a method which holds the tax rate constant relative to the reference period. When tax changes take place, the impact of the tax change on commodity prices is eliminated from HICP-CT. The price impact of the tax changes is obtained by comparing the development of the HICP and HICP-CT.

Source: Consumer Price Index, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Juhani Pekkarinen 09 1734 3476, Johanna Leivo 09 1734 3397, khi@stat.fi

Director in charge: Kari Molnar

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Consumer Price Index 2010=100 by commodity groups (14.5.2012)
• Appendix table 2. Cost-of-living Index 1951:10=100 (14.5.2012)
• Appendix table 3. Year-on-year changes in the Consumer Price Index, per cent (14.5.2012)
• Appendix table 4. Consumer Price Index 2000=100 (14.5.2012)
• Appendix table 5. Consumer Price Index 2005=100 (14.5.2012)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Annual change in the Consumer Price Index and the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, January 2001 - April 2012 (14.5.2012)
• Appendix figure 2. Goods and services with the largest impact on the year-on-year change in the Consumer Price Index, April 2012 (14.5.2012)
• Appendix figure 3. Annual change in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices and the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices at Constant Taxes, January 2007 - April 2012 (14.5.2012)
• Appendix figure 4. Harmonised Index of Consumer Price Index 2005=100; Finland, Euro area and EU (14.5.2012)

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Updated 14.5.2012