HELSINKI: The year-on-year change in consumer prices calculated by Statistics Finland was -0.1 per cent in February while in January, the inflation stood at 0.0 per cent in January.
The slight decline in inflation was influenced, for example, by decreases in average housing loan interest rates, light fuel oil and petrol prices from one year ago. Consumer prices were raised in February by increases in the vehicle tax, maintenance charges, rents in government-subsidised dwellings and hospital fees from one year ago.
Compared to one year ago, the biggest decreases were recorded in the consumer prices of average housing loan interest rates, liquid fuels and subscriptions of periodicals. Consumer prices changed by 0.1 per cent from January to February. According to the preliminary data on the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, the rate of inflation in the euro area was -0.2 per cent in February.
In January it was 0.3 per cent. The corresponding figure for Finland was -0.1 per cent in February, the data show. The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices does not include owner-occupancy, games of chance, interests on consumption and other credits, fire insurance on owner-occupied dwellings or the vehicle tax.
The consumption items included in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, as well as the rules governing its compilation, are defined in EU regulations. Eurostat’s estimate of inflation in the euro area is based on preliminary data from the Member States and on the price development of energy.
