According to a report released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, in April this year industrial producer prices decreased by 0.6 percent in the euro area and by 0.7 percent in the European Union member states (EU-27), month on month. In March this year, prices had decreased by 0.2 percent both in the EU-27 and in the euro zone as compared to the previous month. In April, compared to April 2012 industrial producer prices fell by 0.2 percent in both zones.
In April 2013 compared with the previous month, prices in overall industry excluding the energy sector decreased by 0.2 percent in the euro area and by 0.1 percent in the EU-27, while prices in the energy sector fell by 1.6 percent in the euro area and by 2.0 percent in EU-27. In April, prices of non-durable consumer goods declined by 0.1 percent in the euro area and remained stable in the EU-27. Capital goods increased by 0.1 percent in both the euro area and in the EU-27, while prices of durable consumer goods remained stable in both zones. Meanwhile, prices of intermediate goods decreased by 0.4 percent in the euro area and by 0.3 percent in the EU-27, month on month.
Among the member states for which data are available, the largest month-on-month decreases were recorded in the United Kingdom (-1.5 percent), Belgium (-1.4 percent), and Greece and the Netherlands (both with -1.3 percent), while the only increases were recorded in Latvia (+1.1 percent), Denmark (+0.4 percent), Estonia (+0.2 percent), and Cyprus and Slovakia (both with +0.1 percent). On the other hand, industrial prices in Malta and Slovenia remained stable in April compared to March.
In April 2013 as compared to April 2012, prices in overall industry excluding the energy sector increased by 0.6 percent in the euro area and by 0.7 percent in the EU-27, while prices in the energy sector fell 2.0 percent and 2.8 percent respectively. Non-durable consumer goods increased by 1.9 percent in the euro area and rose by 2.1 percent in the EU-27. Durable consumer goods rose by 0.7 percent in the euro area and 0.6 percent in the EU-27. Capital goods rose by 0.6 percent in the euro area and by 0.7 percent in the EU-27. The prices of intermediate goods increased by 0.3 percent in the euro zone and by 0.2 percent in the EU-27, year on year.
Among member states for which data are available, the largest year-on-year increases in the overall index were observed in Estonia (+11.3 percent), Romania (+4.9 percent), Belgium (+1.9 percent) and Latvia (+1.8 percent), while the largest decreases were seen in Greece (-2.4 percent), Poland (-2.1 percent ), Sweden (-1.7 percent ) and the Netherlands (-1.5 percent ).