Significant differences in price levels for food, beverages and tobacco across Europe in 2012
Price levels for food, beverages and tobacco vary considerably across the EU Member States. In 2012, the prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages in Denmark were 143 % of the EU average, while in Poland they were 61 % of the EU average. Alcohol was priced in Finland at 175 % of the EU average, but at 67 % in Bulgaria. For tobacco the highest prices were observed in Ireland (199% of the EU average), while the lowest were recorded in Hungary (52%).
These are some of the findings of Eurostat's most recent survey on food, beverages and tobacco prices, carried out in 2012 within the Eurostat-OECD Purchasing Power Parities (PPP) Programme. The survey covered a total of approximately 500 comparable products, enabling all countries to price a sufficient number of products representative of their consumption pattern.
The results of the survey are expressed in price level indices (PLIs), which provide a comparison of countries' price levels with respect to the European Union average: if the price level index is higher than 100, the country concerned is relatively expensive compared to the EU average, while on the other hand, if the price level index is lower than 100, then the country is relatively inexpensive compared to the EU average. Map 1 and Figure 1 show the 2012 PLIs for food and non-alcoholic beverages, while the tables present PLIs for sub-groups of products.
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Source: Eurostat
