PRESS RELEASE Brussels, 23th December 2015

Transcription

1 PRESS RELEASE Brussels, 23th December 2015 Inflation in December amounts to 1.50% Consumer price index of December 2015 o Inflation in December has gone down from 1.52% to 1.50%. o The average inflation rate in 2015 amounts to 0.56%. In 2014 this was 0.34%. o The consumer price index this month has decreased by 0.13 points or 0.13%. o Inflation based on the health index has gone down from 1.99% to 1.82%. o The most significant price increases in December have been registered for airplane tickets and meat. However, especially motor fuels, vegetables, domestic heating oil and electricity have had a decreasing effect on the index. The consumer price index amounts to points in December The index has decreased by 0.13 points this month. Inflation has gone down from 1.52 % to 1.50%. The health index has decreased by 0.05 points this month and now amounts to points. Inflation based on the health index has fallen from 1.99% to 1.82%. The most significant price increases in December have been registered for airplane tickets and meat. These increases have been partially counterbalanced by price decreases for motor fuels, vegetables, domestic heating oil and electricity. The consumer price index has gone down by 0.13 points or 0.13% in December 2015 and now amounts to points, compared to points in November (2013=100). Index (2013 = 100) Index evolution 01/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Consumptieprijsindex Gezondheidsindex

2 The health index has gone down by 0.05 points to points in December, compared to points in November. The smoothed health index amounted to points in December. The law of 23 April 2015 on the promotion of employment (Belgian Official Journal of 27 April 2015) blocks the smoothed health index at the level of March 2015 (i.e. points), as long as the arithmetic mean of the four most recent health indices, multiplied by factor 0.98, does not exceed the level of March The central index for public services and social benefits, set at points, has not been exceeded this month. The last time the central index was exceeded was in November Products with the largest increasing effect in December are airplane tickets and meat. Motor fuels, vegetables, domestic heating oil and electricity have had the largest decreasing effect compared to last month. The most important trends this month are: 2/5 upward: airplane tickets meat effect: points points downward: motor fuels vegetables domestic heating oil electricity effect: points points points points Airplane tickets have become 4.8% more expensive compared to last month, due to Christmas holidays. Meat prices have increased by 0.4% in December. Prices for motor fuels have decreased on average by 1.8% this month. Vegetables have become 3.0% less expensive compared to last month. Prices for leek, tomatoes and Belgian endive have gone down considerably. Lettuce on the other hand has become more expensive. Prices for domestic heating oil, calculated based on a smoothed 12-month moving average, has gone down by 3.6% on average. Prices for electricity have decreased on average by 0.9% in December. Inflation now amounts to 1.50% compared to 1.52% in November and 1.28% in October. Inflation based on the health index has also gone down and now stands at 1.82% compared to 1.99% in November and 1.98% in October. Inflation without energy has gone down to 1.88% in December compared to 2.00% last month and 1.85% in October. Core inflation, which does not take into account price evolutions of energy products and unprocessed food, amounts to 1.79% in December, compared to 1.83% in November and 1.50% in October. Inflation of food now amounts to 2.46%, compared to 2.78% last month and 3.11% in October. The high inflation rate for food is mainly due to the strong rise in inflation for vegetables and fruit since August. Compared to December last year, vegetable prices are now 7.2% higher, which is entirely due to potato prices, which are even 38.4% higher than last year. Fruit now costs 7.5% more than last year in December. Inflation for energy remains negative but has gone up to -1.69% this month, from -2.44% in the previous month. Natural gas is 8.1% less expensive than last year in December. Electricity has become 30.1% more expensive than in December Petroleum products have seen their prices fall compared to last year. Domestic heating oil, calculated based on a smoothed 12-month moving average, is 26.9% less expensive than the year before. Motor fuels are 9.7% less

3 expensive than last year in December. Inflation for services have gone down from 2.87% to 2.67%. Inflation rate for rents has also slowed down from 0.79% to 0.78%. The average inflation rate in 2015 amounts to 0.56%. In 2014 this was 0.34%. The following products and services have registered the strongest price increases compared to last year in December: upward: Inflation rate: potatoes 38.37% electricity 30.06% higher education 28.81% tea 22.66% liquors and spirits 19.48% public bus transport 17.26% whole milk 17.19% medical services by specialists 16.92% skimmed and semi-skimmed milk 15.84% strong beers 10.98% olive oil 10.74% costs for sewerage and waste water treatment 10.38% The following products and services have registered the strongest price decreases compared to last year in December: downward: inflation rate: domestic heating oil % diesel % LPG -9.72% natural gas -8.09% petrol -7.75% liquefied petroleum gas (butane and propane) -6.40% smartphones -5.07% car tyres -4.40% fresh shellfish -4.32% breakfast cereals -4.28% video equipment (TV, home cinema,...) -4.25% memory cards -4.17% 3/5

4 4/5 Inflation rate 6% Inflation rate (%) 5% 4.49% 4% 3% 1.82% 2% 1% 0% -0.05% 2,19% 3,53% 2,84% 1,11% 0,34% 0,56% 1.82% 1.50% -1% -2% 01/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /2015 Consumptieprijsindex (CPI) Gezondheidsindex Jaargemiddelde CPI 2013 = 100 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 Consumer price index Inflation rate 1.06% 1.28% 1.52% 1.50% Health index Smoothed health index

5 5/5 Additional information For more information, please contact Stephan Moens: +32 (0)2/ Source Additional figures Tables with detailed data can be found on: Consumer price index in open data format Consumer price index, general: from 1920 onward Consumer price index, per group: from 1998 onward now also offers the consumer price index in open data format. The general file contains the general consumer price index from 1920 onward. The second file contains an overview of the indices from 1998 onward of the twelve main groups according to the COICOP classification.