Bulgaria Sept Producer Prices with Highest Rise in EU

Bulgaria's producer price index (PPI) marked the highest rise among European Union member states in September on a monthly basis, the statistics agency Eurostat reported Wednesday.

PPI in Bulgaria went up by 1,2%, compared with an average of a 0,7% decrease for the whole bloc.

Following Bulgaria, among member states for which data are available, the highest increases in the total index on a monthly basis were recorded in Estonia (+0.4%), Cyprus and Slovenia (both +0.3%).

The largest decreases were observed in Greece, Finland and the United Kingdom (all -0.8%) and Lithuania (-0.7%).

Among member states for which data are available, the largest falls in the total index on an annual basis were observed in the Netherlands (-13.4%), Lithuania (-12.1%) and Denmark (-11.3%), and the lowest in Romania (-0.1%), Hungary (-1.2%) and Slovenia (-1.6%).

The only increase was registered in Malta (+0.7%).

September producer prices in the 16-nation euro zone were down 7.7% from the same month last year. Compared to August, prices fell 0.4%.

Cheaper oil served as the main reason behind the monthly and annual declines as energy costs fell 1.9% against August and 17.6% compared with September 2008.

Excluding energy and construction prices, PPI fell at a year-on-year rate of 4.3%, while posting no change from August.