Industrial producer prices in May 2010 up by 0.3% in euro area, by 0.2% in EU

According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), in May 2010, the industrial producer price index rose by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU compared with April 2010. In April this year, prices had increased by 1.0% in the eura area and by 0.8% in the EU.

2 July 2010, 12:00am
by Charlot Zahra

2 min read

In May 2010, compared with the previous month, prices in total industry excluding the energy sector increased by 0.4% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU.

Eurostat reported that intermediate goods had gained 0.8% over April 2010 in both zones when compared to the previous month.

Durable consumer goods increased by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.3% in the EU.

Non-durable consumer goods rose by 0.1% in the euro area and by 0.3% in the EU when compared to April 2010. Capital goods gained 0.1% in the Euro area and 0.2% in the EU when compared to the previous month.

Prices in the energy sector remained stable in the euro area, but fell by 0.3% in the EU27.

Among Member States for which data were available, the highest increases in the total index was recorded in Hungary (+3.4%), Cyprus (+2.0%), Lithuania (+1.3%) and Slovenia (+1.2%).

According to Eurostat, the only decreases were observed in Greece (-0.6%), Sweden and the United Kingdom (both 0.5%).

In May 2010 compared with May 2009, industrial producer prices rose by 3.1% in the euro area and by 3.7% in the EU.

On an annual basis, prices in total industry excluding the energy sector increased by 1.7% in the euro area and by 1.8% in the EU.

Prices in the energy sector gained 7.0% in the euro area and 8.6% in the EU when compared to May 2009.

In May 2010, intermediate goods increased by 3.9% in the Euro area and by 3.8% in the EU when compared to the previous year.

Durable consumer goods rose by 0.7% in the euro area and by 1.0% in the EU in May 2010 when compared to the previous year.

In May 2010, capital goods increased by 0.2% in the Euro area and 0.5% in the EU-27 respectively when compared with a year ago. Non-durable consumer goods fell by 0.1% in the euro area, but rose by 0.2% in the EU.

Among Member States for which data were available, the largest increases in the total index were observed in Malta (+17.0%), Hungary (+9.1%), Greece (+7.3%) and Finland (+7.1%). The only decreases were observed in Slovakia (-3.1%) and Latvia (-1.2%).