Price index of first-hand domestic sales, 15 April 2002

Prices of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, which increased by 6.3 per cent last month, continued to increase, 1.6 per cent from March to April. As last month, the development in this group is explained by higher prices of oil and refined oil products, while prices of electricity went down.

Food prices have for some months showed a downward trend, but from March to April prices went up 0.5 per cent. The main explanation for this was a 2 per cent price increase in meat and meat preparations.

The 12-month rate; prices down 3.4 per cent

The most influential price declines the last 12 months occurred in the groups mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, and crude materials. Prices for these commodities were about 11 per cent lower than in the same period last year. An upward effect came from the group containing food, where prices now were 1.4 per cent higher than last year's.

Decline in the 12-month rate

After an increase from -4.4 per cent in February to -2.8 per cent in March, the 12-month rate decreased to -3.4 per cent in April. The development in prices of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials r contributed to this development. The 12-month rate for the latter mentioned group went from -9,8 per cent last month to -11.2 per cent. This movement was due to the fact that the prices increased twice as much from March to April in 2001 than in the corresponding period this year.