According to a report released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, in March this year in the European Union member states (EU-27) industrial producer prices increased 0.6 percent as compared to February levels, while they rose by 3.8 percent as compared with March 2011. In the euro area, industrial producer prices increased 0.5 percent month on month and were up 3.3 percent compared to March 2011.
In March 2012 compared with the previous month, prices in overall industry excluding the energy sector increased by 0.2 percent both in the euro area and the EU-27, while prices in the energy sector rose by 1.4 percent and 1.8 percent respectively. Meanwhile, in both zones, prices of intermediate goods gained 0.3 percent, non-durable consumer goods 0.2 percent and capital goods 0.1 percent, while durable consumer goods remained stable in March this year.
Among the member states for which data are available, the only decreases were recorded in Sweden (-0.5 percent), in Hungary and in Malta (both -0.1 percent), while the largest increases were recorded in Greece and in the UK (both +1.2 percent), in Lithuania (+1.1 percent) and in Cyprus (+1 percent).
In March 2012 as compared to March 2011, prices in overall industry excluding the energy sector increased by 1.5 percent in the euro area and by 1.8 percent in the EU-27, while prices in the energy sector gained 8.5 percent and 8.6 percent respectively. Durable consumer goods increased by 2.3 percent in the euro area and 2.2 percent in the EU-27. Capital goods gained 1.1 percent in the euro area and 1.2 percent in the EU-27, while intermediate goods rose by 0.9 percent and 1.2 percent respectively.
Among member states for which data are available, the largest year-on-year increases in the overall index were observed in Latvia (+10 percent), in Cyprus (+8.8 percent) and in Hungary (+7.4 percent), and the smallest in Malta (+0.5 percent), in Slovenia (+0.6 percent) and in Austria (+1.6 percent). The only decrease was recorded in Sweden (-0.5 percent).