STAT/13/41
15 March 2013
February 2013
Euro area annual inflation down to 1.8%
EU down to 2.0%
Euro area1 annual inflation was 1.8% in February 20132, down from 2.0% in January. A year earlier the rate was 2.7%. Monthly inflation was 0.4% in February 2013.
European Union3 annual inflation was 2.0% in February 2013, down from 2.1% in January. A year earlier the rate was 2.9%. Monthly inflation was 0.4% in February 2013.
These figures come from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
In February 2013, the lowest annual rates were observed in Greece (0.1%), Portugal (0.2%) and Latvia (0.3%), and the highest in Romania (4.8%), Estonia (4.0%) and the Netherlands (3.2%). Compared with January 2013, annual inflation fell in seventeen Member States, remained stable in three and rose in six. The lowest 12-month average rates up to February 2013 were registered in Greece (0.7%), Sweden (0.9%) and Latvia (1.8%), and the highest in Hungary (5.2%), Estonia (4.1%) and Romania (3.8%).
The largest upward impacts to euro area annual inflation came from electricity (+0.17 percentage points), fruit and tobacco (+0.07 each), while telecommunications (-0.22), medical & paramedical services (-0.08) and garments
(-0.07) had the biggest downward impacts.
Annual inflation (%) in February 2013*, in ascending order
* Data for Austria, the euro area and the EU are provisional. Data for the United Kingdom are for January 2013.
Inflation rates4 in %, measured by HICPs
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Belgium | 1.3 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 2.2 | ||||||||||||||
Germany | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 0.8 | ||||||||||||||
Estonia | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 0.7 | ||||||||||||||
Ireland | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 0.8 | ||||||||||||||
Greece | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 | -1.6 | ||||||||||||||
Spain | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 0.1 | ||||||||||||||
France | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 0.3 | ||||||||||||||
Italy | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.1 | -0.2 | ||||||||||||||
Cyprus | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 0.2 | ||||||||||||||
Luxembourg | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 1.9 | ||||||||||||||
Malta | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 0.0 | ||||||||||||||
Netherlands | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 1.0 | ||||||||||||||
Austria | 2.6p | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.6p | 0.3p | ||||||||||||||
Portugal | 0.2 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 2.3 | -0.1 | ||||||||||||||
Slovenia | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 0.7 | ||||||||||||||
Slovakia | 2.2 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 0.0 | ||||||||||||||
Finland | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 0.6 | ||||||||||||||
Euro area (MUICP) | 1.8p | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.4p | 0.4p | ||||||||||||||
Bulgaria | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 0.2 | ||||||||||||||
Czech Republic | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 0.1 | ||||||||||||||
Denmark | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 1.0 | ||||||||||||||
Latvia | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 3.3 | 1.8 | -0.1 | ||||||||||||||
Lithuania | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 3.0 | -0.1 | ||||||||||||||
Hungary | 2.9 | 2.8 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 5.8 | 5.2 | 0.6 | ||||||||||||||
Poland | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 4.4 | 3.2 | 0.0 | ||||||||||||||
Romania | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 3.8 | 0.4 | ||||||||||||||
Sweden | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 | ||||||||||||||
United Kingdom5 | : | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 3.4 | : | : | ||||||||||||||
EU (EICP) | 2.0p | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.5p | 0.4p | ||||||||||||||
Iceland | 6.2 | 6.1 | 5.1 | 6.0 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 1.9 | ||||||||||||||
Norway | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.7 | ||||||||||||||
Switzerland | 0.1 | -0.1 | -0.3 | -0.1 | -1.2 | -0.6 | 0.3 | ||||||||||||||
Croatia | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 0.4 | ||||||||||||||
Source: Eurostat p = provisional : = not available
* Average HICP of latest 12 months/average HICP of preceding 12 months.
Annual inflation (%) in the euro area and European Union
Euro area inflation rates in % for selected special aggregates
Euro area (MUICP) |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
All-items | 1000.0 | 1.8p | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.4p | 0.4p | ||||||||||||||||
All-items excluding: > energy | 890.4 | 1.6p | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.8p | 0.3p | ||||||||||||||||
> energy, food, alcohol & tobacco | 696.7 | 1.3p | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.5p | 0.3p | ||||||||||||||||
> energy, unprocessed food | 816.9 | 1.4p | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.7p | 0.3p | ||||||||||||||||
> energy, seasonal food | 852.7 | 1.5p | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 1.8p | 0.3p | ||||||||||||||||
> tobacco | 975.8 | 1.8p | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 2.3p | 0.4p | ||||||||||||||||
Energy | 109.6 | 3.9p | 3.9 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 9.5 | 6.7p | 1.2p | ||||||||||||||||
Food, alcohol and tobacco | 193.7 | 2.7p | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.0p | 0.1p | ||||||||||||||||
Non-energy industrial goods | 273.6 | 0.8p | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2p | 0.2p | ||||||||||||||||
Services | 423.0 | 1.5p | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.7p | 0.4p | ||||||||||||||||
Source: Eurostat p = provisional
Sub-indices with most important impacts on euro area annual inflation6
Sub-index |
| |||||||||
04.51 | Electricity | 25.9 | 8.2p | 0.17 | ||||||
01.16 | Fruit | 11.8 | 7.6p | 0.07 | ||||||
02.20 | Tobacco | 24.2 | 4.6p | 0.07 | ||||||
03.12 | Garments | 49.1 | -0.1p | -0.07 | ||||||
06.21/3 | Medical and paramedical services | 11.3 | -4.8p | -0.08 | ||||||
08.2/3 | Telecommunications | 29.4 | -5.2p | -0.22 | ||||||
Source: Eurostat p = provisional
The euro area inflation is measured by the Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices (MUICP) as defined in Council Regulation (EC) No 2494/95 of 23 October 1995. The data refers to the euro area country composition at a specific point in time. New Member States are integrated into the MUICP using a chain index formula.
The euro area flash estimate for February 2013, published on 1 March 2013, was 1.8%.
The European Union (EU) inflation is measured by the European Index of Consumer Prices (EICP) as defined in Council Regulation (EC) No 2494/95 of 23 October 1995. The data refers to the EU country composition at a specific point in time. New Member States are integrated into the MUICP using a chain index formula.
An annual rate measures the price change between a month and the same month of the previous year. A 12-month average rate compares the average Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICPs) of the latest 12 months to the average of the preceding 12 months. A monthly rate compares price levels between the two latest months.
Data for the United Kingdom for February 2013 were not available in time for publication. Due to this fact the EU totals have been calculated using Eurostat estimates.
An impact is a measure showing the change in the inflation due to the inclusion of a sub-index. The impact takes account of both the weight and whether the inflation for that sub-index is higher or lower than the all-items inflation rate.
More information can be found in the HICP dedicated section on Eurostat’s website and in the Statistics Explained article on inflation in the euro area.
Issued by: Eurostat Press Office Tim ALLEN Tel: +352-4301-33 444 | For further information on methodology: Svetoslava PAVLOVA Tel: +352-4301-34 406 |
Eurostat News Releases on the internet: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
Selected Principal European Economic Indicators: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/euroindicators
