Provisional estimates reveal that the industrial producer price index for January 2010 went up by 3.8 per cent compared with December 2009, and down by 3.3 per cent compared to the corresponding month of 2009.

Monthly comparison

The January producer price index for total industry increased by 3.8 per cent, primarily due to a 22.4 per cent rise in energy prices. Consumer goods prices rose by 0.3 per cent on account of a 1.1 per cent increase in prices for non-durable consumer goods. Similarly, marginal price increases were registered for capital goods (+0.2 per cent), whereas prices for intermediate goods fell by 3.1 per cent.

Producer prices for the domestic market increased by 17.3 per cent, mainly reflecting the rise in prices for energy. Whereas prices for both intermediate and for consumer goods rose by 0.7 per cent over the previous month, no price change was recorded in respect of capital goods. Prices for the non-domestic market fell by 2.8 per cent due to a drop in prices for goods destined for the euro area (-3.1 per cent). Prices of goods destined for the non-euro area rose by 0.4 per cent.

Overall, the producer prices for the euro area declined due to a drop of 3.6 per cent in prices for intermediate goods. On the other hand, producer prices for capital and consumer goods rose by 0.3 and 0.1 per cent respectively. Producer prices for the non-euro area rose on account of price increases for intermediate, capital and consumer goods, of 0.4, 0.1 and 0.5 per cent respectively.

Annual comparison

Producer prices for total industry for January 2010 fell by 3.3 per cent on account of lower producer prices obtained for intermediate, capital and consumer goods, by 7.9, 1.7 and 0.1 per cent respectively. These price declines were partially mitigated by an increase of 5.0 per cent in energy prices.

Year-on-year, producer prices within the domestic market went up by 3.6 per cent as a result of producer price increases in energy (+5.0 per cent) and consumer goods (+1.1 per cent), while intermediate and capital goods fell by 4.0 and 16.4 per cent respectively.

The period under review revealed that producer prices for goods destined for the non-domestic market were down by 7.0 per cent, mainly on account of a 7.6 per cent decline in prices of goods for the euro area. Similarly, producer prices for the non-euro area decreased by 1.8 per cent when compared to January 2009 J

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