Home > Statistics > Consumer price index > 2009 > November > Inflation -0.9 per cent in November

Published: 14 December 2009

Inflation -0.9 per cent in November

The year-on-year change in consumer prices, i.e. inflation, calculated by Statistics Finland was -0.9 per cent in November. In October it stood at -1.5 per cent. The decrease in consumer prices slowed down mainly because of the increase in the price of petrol one year ago.

In November, consumer prices were brought down most from the year before by reductions in interest rates. Reductions in the prices of food, telephone call charges, owner-occupied flats and real estate also brought inflation down. On the other hand consumer prices were pushed up most by increases in the retail prices of alcoholic beverages, and prices of restaurant and café services, and risen rents and petrol prices from the year before.

From October to November, consumer prices went up by 0.1 per cent, primarily due to increases in the prices of vegetables and automotive fuels.

Each mid-month, Statistics Finland interviewers collect around 50,000 prices on 497 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.

Finland's inflation indicators, November 2009

	Point figure	Year-on-year change	Month-on-month change
Consumer Price Index 2005=100	108.0	-0.9 %	0.1 %
Cost-of-living Index 1951:10=100	1 725
Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices 2005=100	108.9	1.3 %	0.2 %
Harmonised Consumer Price Index at Constant Taxes 2005=100	108.9	1.5 %	0.2 %

According to preliminary data, inflation in the EMU countries was 0.6 per cent in November

According to the preliminary data on the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, the rate of inflation in the EMU countries was 0.6 per cent in November. In October it stood at -0.1 per cent. The corresponding figure for Finland in November was 1.3 per cent.

The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices does not include owner-occupancy, games of chance, interests on consumption and other credits or levies such as asset transfer tax and the 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 EMU area is based on preliminary data from EMU Member States and on the price development of energy. Eurostat will publish detailed data on Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices for November on 16 December.

The year-on-year change in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices at Constant Taxes was 1.5 per cent in November

The year-on-year change in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices stood at 1.3 per cent in November and that in the index at constant taxes measuring market price changes stood at 1.5 per cent. From November 2008, the lowering impact of changes in commodity tax rates was thus 0.2 per centage units. The month-on-month change in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices was 0.2 per cent and that in the Index at Constant Taxes 0.2 per cent in November. In November, no changes were made in commodity tax rates.

Statistics Finland started to publish a Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices at Constant Taxes in June 2009.In the Index at Constant Taxes the impact of the changes in the value added tax and other commodity taxes on inflation has been eliminated by keeping the taxes constant relative to the index base period. The index measures market inflation or the change in prices caused by reasons other than changes in commodity taxes. The price impact of the tax changes is obtained by comparing the development of the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices and the Index at Constant Taxes.

Source: Consumer Price Index 2009, November. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Mr Juhani Pekkarinen +358 9 1734 3476, Ms Christina Telasuo +358 9 1734 3472
Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices and Index of Consumer Prices at Constant Taxes: Ms Christina Telasuo +358 9 1734 3472
khi@stat.fi

Director in charge: Kari Molnar

Consumer price index 2009, November (pdf 245.4 kB)

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• Cost-of-living Index 1951:10=100 (14.12.2009)

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Last updated 14.12.2009