Consumer price index for December 2019
- Inflation increases from 0.39 % to 0.76 % in December.
- The consumer price index increases by 0.14 point or 0.13 % this month.
- Inflation based on the health index has risen from 0.48 % à 0.67 %.
- The smoothed health index amounted to 106.76 points in December.
- The most significant price increases in December were registered for holiday villages, vegetables, products for pets, meat, the purchase of vehicles and personal care products. However, alcoholic beverages, electricity and hotel rooms have had a decreasing effect on the index.
The consumer price index is running at 109.04 points in December 2019. It has increased by 0.14 point over the month. Inflation has risen from 0.39 % to 0.76 %. The health index has gained 0.18 point to 109.18 points. Inflation based on the health index has increased from 0.48 % to 0.67 %. The most significant price increases were registered for holiday villages, vegetables, products for pets, meat, the purchase of vehicles and personal care products. These increases were mainly offset by price decreases for alcoholic beverages, electricity and hotel rooms.
The consumer price index rose by 0.14 point or 0.13 % in December 2019 and now stands at 109.04 points, compared to 108.90 points in November 2019 (2013=100).
The health index has increased by 0.18 point to 109.18 points in December, compared to 109.00 points in November. The smoothed health index amounted to 106.76 points in December. The central index for public service and social benefits, set at 107.20 points, has not been reached. The last time the central index was exceeded was in August 2018.
The largest upward pressure in December came from holiday villages, vegetables, products for pets, meat, the purchase of vehicles and personal care products.
However, alcoholic beverages, electricity and hotel rooms provided the largest downward pressure compared to last month. The most important trends this month are:
| Upward: | Effect: | Downward: | Effect: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday villages | +0.030 point | Alcoholic beverages | -0.035 point |
| Vegetables | +0.030 point | Electricity | -0.030 point |
| Products for pets | +0.030 point | Hotel rooms | -0.025 point |
| Meat | +0.025 point | ||
| Purchase of vehicles | +0.025 point | ||
| Personal care products | +0.025 point |
Holiday villages have, after seasonal adjustment, become on average 3.9 % more expensive compared to last month. In December, prices for vegetables have increased by 1.7 %. Products for pets have increased by 4.0 %. Meat became on average 0.6 % more expensive. Prices for the purchase of vehicles and personal care products have increased this month by 0.3 % and 1.6 %, respectively.
Prices of alcoholic beverages have decreased on average by 2.4 % Electricity became this month 0.8 % less expensive. Hotel rooms registered a price decrease of 3.1 % on average.
Inflation now stands at 0.76 % compared to 0.39 % in November and 0.48 % in October. Inflation based on the health index amounted to 0.67 % this month compared to 0.48 % in November and 0.67 % in October. Inflation without energy increased to 1.37 % in December, compared to 1.35 % in November and 1.37 % in October. Core inflation, which does not take into account price evolutions of energy products and unprocessed food, stands at 1.45 % in December, compared to 1.46 % in November and 1.55 % in October.
Food inflation now stands at 0.45 % compared to 0.24 % last month and -0.06 % in October. Fresh fruit were 0.5 % more expensive than in December 2018. Prices of fresh vegetables have decreased by 4.1 % in a year. Fish and shellfish have become 1.0 % more expensive compared to December 2018. Prices for meat have increased by 1.8 % compared to last December. Prices for non-alcoholic beverages are on average 0.8 % lower than in December last year. Alcoholic beverages are now 0.5 % more expensive than a year ago. Tobacco prices have gone up by 4.8 % compared to December 2018.
Energy inflation is now running at -4.36 %, compared to -7.29 % last month and -6.66 % in October. Electricity is now 5.8 % less expensive than a year ago. Natural gas is 15.6 % less expensive than last year. Prices for domestic heating oil, calculated based on a smoothed 12-month moving average, have decreased by 1.9 % in a year. Motor fuels are now 1.8 % more expensive than a year ago. Inflation for services has decreased to 1.93 % from 2.08 %. Finally, inflation for rents has increased from 1.18% to 1.24 %.
The following products and services have registered the sharpest price increases compared to last year in December:
| Upward: | Inflation |
|---|---|
| Postal mail | 12.5% |
| Wine from other fruits (cider) | 12.3% |
| Newspapers | 11.6% |
| Software | 9.6% |
| Other tobacco products (e.g. loose tobacco) | 9.3% |
| Educational text books | 7.5% |
| Other cereal products (Quinoa, mix desserts,...) | 7.3% |
| Package holidays in Belgium | 7.1% |
| Frozen fish | 7.1% |
| Pre-recorded recording media (bluray, dvd) | 6.9% |
| Other fuels for personal transport equipment (LPG) | 6.8% |
| Edible ices and ice cream | 6.2% |
The following products and services have registered the sharpest price decreases compared to last year in December:
| Downward: | Inflation: |
|---|---|
| Downward: | |
| Natural gas | -15.6% |
| Fresh shellfish | -7.2% |
| Electricity | -5.8% |
| Alcoholic soft drinks | -5.3% |
| Wireless telephone services | -5.3% |
| Clothes washing machines, clothes drying machines and dish washing machines | -5.0% |
| Pregnancy tests and mechanical contraceptive devices | -4.9% |
| Frozen shellfish | -4.9% |
| Dried fruit and nuts | -4.8% |
| Other recording media (memory card) | -4.6% |
| Video equipment | -4.2% |
| Pizza and quiche | -4.1% |
The main group with the largest upward effect[i] on inflation in December was “Transport” with an effect of 0.25 percentage point. The largest downward effect was measured for “Housing, water and energy” (-0.65 percentage point).
The main group with the largest contribution[ii] to inflation is “Transport” with 0.33 percentage point. The lowest contribution to inflation was registered by the main group “Housing, water and energy”, with -0.38 percentage point.
| 2013 = 100 | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer price index | 108.44 | 108.83 | 108.90 | 109.04 |
| Inflation | 0.80% | 0.48% | 0.39% | 0.76% |
| Health index | 108.58 | 108.98 | 109.00 | 109.18 |
| Smoothed health index* | 106.76 | 106.75 | 106.73 | 106.76 |
| * defined in the law of 23 April 2015 on the promotion of employment (Belgian Official Journal of 27 April 2015) | ||||
[i]An effect on inflation shows the changes on the inflation rate by including this product group in the CPI calculation. The effect not only takes the weight of the product group into account, but it also takes into account whether the product group inflation is higher or lower than that of the total expenditure (overall CPI).
[ii]The contribution to inflation of a specific product group shows how much of the change in the total expenditure is due to the price variation of this product group.