9.3.2023 | Estonia

The price of fresh vegetables rose by 16.5% in February

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Andrei Chertkov

According to data released by Statistics Estonia, in February, the Consumer Price Index increased by 0.6 per cent compared with January (caused mostly by a 16.5 per cent rise in the cost of fresh vegetables), and by 17.6 per cent compared with February 2022.

“Compared with February 2022, the Consumer Price Index was influenced the most by price increases in food and non-alcoholic beverages, which accounted for a third of the total rise. Among food products, the biggest increases occurred in the price of sugar (104.2 per cent), flour and cereals (49.7 per cent), sauces (48.9 per cent), and eggs (44.8 per cent). Housing-related price changes accounted for a quarter of the total increase. Solid fuels were 66.7 per cent, electricity that reached homes 63.8 per cent, heat energy 36.2 per cent and gas 11.8 per cent more expensive. Transport contributed less than a tenth of the rise in the index. Petrol was 4.5 per cent and diesel fuel 14.3 per cent more expensive,” explained Viktoria Trasanov, a leading analyst at Statistics Estonia

Compared with January 2023, the Consumer Price Index rose by 0.6 per cent in February. It was influenced the most by the rising prices in food and non-alcoholic beverages, with two-fifths of this increase due to a 16.5 per cent rise in the price of fresh vegetables. However, prices of motor fuel fell by 20.1 per cent, solid fuels by 6.6 per cent and rents by 1.8 per cent in February.