STAT/07/98
13 July 2007
Comparison of price levels in the EU27 in 2006
Price levels of food and beverages range from one
to two and half
Price levels of tobacco from one to seven
In 2006, the price level1 of a comparable basket of food and non-alcoholic beverages was two and half times higher
in the most expensive EU27 Member State than in the cheapest one. The range was similar for alcoholic
beverages, but was much greater for tobacco where price levels were seven times higher.
These data come from a report2 issued by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. The
results presented refer to the survey on food, beverages and tobacco carried out in 2006 in the 37 participating
countries. This survey covered a total of approximately 500 comparable products.
The highest price levels for food and non-alcoholic beverages were recorded in Denmark (142% of the EU27
average), Ireland (125%), Finland (120%) and Sweden (119%), and the lowest in Bulgaria (56%), Lithuania
(64%), Poland and Slovakia (both 67%). For bread and cereals, price levels ranged from 41% of the EU27
average in Bulgaria and 56% in Slovakia to 150% in Denmark and 141% in Finland; for meat from 48% in
Bulgaria and 50% in Lithuania to 149% in Denmark and 133% in Sweden; and for milk, cheese and eggs from
67% in Poland and 75% in Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia to 139% in Cyprus and 138% in Greece.
The highest price levels for alcoholic beverages were registered in Ireland (181% of the EU27 average), Finland
(170%), the United Kingdom (152%) and Sweden (145%), and the lowest in Bulgaria (69%), Slovakia (72%),
Hungary (77%) and Lithuania (79%).
For tobacco the highest price levels were observed in the United Kingdom (205% of the EU27 average), Ireland
(186%), France (133%), Germany and Sweden (both 119%), and the lowest in Latvia (28%), Lithuania (30%),
Romania (32%) and Estonia (41%).
Comparative price level indices 2006, EU27=100
Of which:
Food and nonalcoholic
beverages
Bread and
cereals
Meat
Milk, cheese
and eggs
EU27
100
100
100
Belgium
110
109
Bulgaria
56
Czech Republic
69
Denmark
Germany
Alcoholic
beverages
Tobacco
100
100
100
123
109
97
100
41
48
82
69
51
61
60
80
86
52
142
150
149
116
128
115
105
108
118
87
82
119
Estonia
75
70
64
79
89
41
Ireland
125
121
129
126
181
186
Greece
98
95
91
138
109
73
Spain
92
112
81
96
81
64
France
105
103
122
100
91
133
Italy
115
109
118
126
113
99
Cyprus
107
108
81
139
118
95
Latvia
69
59
58
75
92
28
Lithuania
64
61
50
75
79
30
115
119
120
112
88
84
Hungary
71
60
65
83
77
54
Malta
83
76
69
111
117
84
Netherlands
88
89
105
78
93
103
Austria
110
126
121
98
81
98
Poland
67
60
52
67
91
44
Portugal
88
95
82
105
99
76
Romania
71
59
60
94
88
32
Slovenia
87
93
83
83
86
59
Slovakia
67
56
58
75
72
51
Finland
120
141
119
110
170
107
Sweden
119
131
133
104
145
119
United Kingdom
113
103
126
115
152
205
Croatia
89
87
86
89
113
65
The former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia
56
55
53
62
65
31
Luxembourg
Turkey
84
70
77
117
176
56
Iceland
164
188
189
149
226
173
Norway
158
164
182
160
229
227
Switzerland
142
142
195
126
96
102
Albania
72
59
62
84
96
33
Bosnia-Herzegovina
71
62
73
76
78
32
Montenegro
74
66
69
77
76
24
Serbia
67
56
68
75
73
26
1. Comparative price levels are expressed in the form of price level indices (PLIs). PLIs provide a comparison of countries’
price levels with respect to the European Union average: if the PLI is higher than 100, the country concerned is relatively
expensive compared to the EU average and vice versa. However, PLIs only provide an indication of the order of magnitude
of the price level in one country in relation to others, particularly when countries are clustered around a very narrow range of
outcomes. The data is produced by the Eurostat-OECD Purchasing Power Parity programme. The full methodology used in
the programme is described in the Eurostat-OECD Methodological manual on purchasing power parities which is available
free of charge from the Eurostat website:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1073,46587259&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&p_product_code=
KS-BE-06-002
2.
Eurostat, Statistics in Focus, 90/2007, "Eating, drinking, smoking - comparative price levels in 37 European
countries in 2006". The publication is available free of charge in PDF format on the Eurostat website.
Issued by:
Eurostat Press Office
Tim ALLEN
Tel: +352-4301-33 444
eurostat-pressoffice@ec.europa.eu
Eurostat news releases on the Internet:
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
For further information on the data:
Sebastian REINECKE
Tel: +352-4301-35 193
sebastian.reinecke@ec.europa.eu
Lars SVENNEBYE
Tel: +352-4301-33 870
lars.svennebye@ec.europa.eu