Food, beverages, tobacco - comparative price levels

File: FOBETO_PLI_2015_en.xls



Price levels of food, beverages and tobacco in European countries in 2015

In 2015, the price level of a comparable basket of food and non-alcoholic beverages was more than twice as high in the most expensive EU-28 Member State than in the cheapest one.

Denmark had the highest price level for food and non-alcoholic beverages in the EU-28 in 2015, at 145% of the EU-28 average, followed by Sweden (124%), Austria and Ireland (120%) and Finland (119%).

The lowest price levels were observed in Poland (63%), Romania (64%), Bulgaria (70%) and Lithuania (78%).

These data come from the survey on food, beverage and tobacco prices carried out in 2015 in the 38 participating countries. This survey covered a total of approximately 440 comparable products.

Highest price disparities monitored for tobacco.

For bread and cereals, price levels ranged from 53% of the EU-28 average in Romania to 161% in Denmark; for meat from 54% in Poland to 136% in Denmark; for milk, cheese & eggs from 65% in Poland to 140% in Cyprus.

The price levels for alcoholic beverages are the highest in Ireland (175%), Finland (172%), the United Kingdom (162%), Sweden (141%) and Denmark (138%) and the lowest price levels for alcoholic beverages were registered in Bulgaria (64% of the EU-28 average), Romania (72%), Hungary (74%) and Czech Republic (79%).

For tobacco, the price levels were almost four times higher in the most expensive Member State than in the cheapest. The lowest price levels were observed in Bulgaria (50% of the EU-28 average), Lithuania and Croatia (56%), Latvia, Czech Republic and Hungary (60%), and the highest in the United Kingdom (219%), Ireland (190%) and France (127%).

Comparative price level indices of food, beverages and tobacco 2015,
EU-28=100
  Food and non-alcoholic beverages of which: Alcoholic beverages Tobacco
bread and cereals meat milk, cheese and eggs
EU (28 countries) 100 100 100 100 100 100
Belgium 108 108 119 113 92 97
Bulgaria 70 58 56 88 64 50
Czech Republic 79 73 74 83 79 60
Denmark 145 161 136 128 138 106
Germany 103 101 116 91 84 101
Estonia 88 89 78 90 103 62
Ireland 120 111 106 128 175 190
Greece 103 114 88 131 117 76
Spain 92 104 85 96 81 85
France 109 112 127 93 86 127
Croatia 91 94 77 92 92 56
Italy 109 118 112 121 99 92
Cyprus 107 116 89 140 103 82
Latvia 89 83 69 101 106 60
Lithuania 78 77 63 86 87 56
Luxembourg 117 113 131 122 92 83
Hungary 79 71 72 87 74 60
Malta 104 102 89 114 101 92
Netherlands 98 90 111 94 104 109
Austria 120 136 132 105 93 85
Poland 63 61 54 65 85 62
Portugal 94 95 78 102 93 83
Romania 64 53 60 92 72 69
Slovenia 96 101 96 100 99 69
Slovakia 89 88 73 96 80 64
Finland 119 125 124 118 172 100
Sweden 124 130 130 116 141 118
United Kingdom 111 96 112 118 162 219
Iceland 130 136 139 139 226 147
Norway 160 150 157 176 250 220
Switzerland 172 164 252 148 121 140
Montenegro 78 71 66 81 95 35
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 58 55 56 71 61 26
Albania 68 60 52 94 77 35
Serbia 69 63 60 79 67 35
Turkey 89 71 77 123 190 48
Bosnia and Herzegovina 74 72 66 77 72 37
Kosovo (*) 70 61 65 72 83 33
(*) This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
Source: EUROSTAT, 13.12.2016
15.12.2016