Harmonized index of consumer prices, 15 March 2003

HICP for Norway fell by 0.6 per cent from February to March. The tariffs on electricity were the main contributor to the price decrease in March. The year-to-year change was 3.2 per cent in March, down from 4.1 per cent in February. See Consumer Price Index, per 15 March 2003 for more details.

Year-to-year change in the EEA

From February 2002 to February 2003 the EEA consumer prices increased by 2.3 per cent. Ireland had the highest growth of 5.1 per cent. The lowest consumer price growth was registered in Iceland with 1.1 per cent, followed by Germany with an increase of 1.3 per cent.

During the last 12 months household payments for education and prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco increased the most in the EEA with growth rates of 5.1 and 4.6 per cent respectively. All the countries have had an increase in the prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco the last 12 months and 9 of the 17 countries had a price growth of more than 5 per cent. In comparison, Norway had a rise in the prices of 1.6 per cent in the same period.

In the EEA communication together with clothing and footwear had a price decrease the last 12 months of 0.9 and 0.2 per cent respectively.

In advance, Eurostat estimated the year-to-year change in February in the Euro-zone to 2.3 per cent, which turned out to be the actual price growth. Expected growth in the consumer prices in the Euro-zone in March is 2.4 per cent. The HICP for the European Union increased by 2.3 per cent in February.