Topic Highlights:
Strong increase in EU consumer price index for food
In March 2008, the annual inflation rate for food was above 5% in 26 of the 27 EU Member States. On average food prices in the EU increased by 7.2% - the highest increase since June 2001.
Increasing production of biofuels, severe droughts, changes in eating habits in countries such as China and India as well as commodity speculation are all being discussed as possible causes of surging inflation.
The prices are however not just rising in the EU. The World Bank has published calculations showing that global food prices have increased by 83% over the last three years, leading experts to diagnose a global food crisis.
Eurostat data on this topic
Harmonized indices of consumer prices
(HICP) (2005=100) - Monthly data (index) (Excel file)
Bar
Chart HICP
Harmonized indices of consumer prices
(2005=100) - Monthly data (annual rate of change) (Excel file)
Bar
chart: Anual rate of change for Germany and selected items
Harmonized
indices of consumer prices - Monthly data - (monthly rate of change) (Excel file)
Gross human apparent consumption of main food items in kg per capita (Excel file)
Database
section "Harmonized indices of consumer prices"
Basic
tables
on "Consumer prices"
Methodological information on
"Harmonized indices of consumer prices"
Statistics explained: Consumer prices - inflation and comparative price levels
Publications
EU
Economic Data Pocketbook
The EU Economic Data Pocketbook is a handy collection of economic data from different
domains.
