In February 2012, compared with January 2012, the industrial producer price index rose by 0.6% in the eurozone and by 0.8% in the EU27. In January, prices increased by 0.8% and 0.6%, respectively. Prices in total industry excluding the energy sector increased by 0.4% in the eurozone and by 0.3% in the EU27. Prices in the energy sector rose by 1.2% and 1.5%, respectively. Intermediate goods gained 0.6% in the eurozone and 0.5% in the EU27. In both zones, durable consumer goods and non-durable consumer goods each increased by 0.3%, and capital goods by 0.2%.

The highest increases were recorded in Denmark (+3.6%), Belgium (+1.9%) and Finland (+1.7%), and the lowest in the Czech Republic, Latvia and Malta (all +0.1%).

In February, 2012 compared with February 2011, industrial producer prices gained 3.6% in the eurozone and 4.3% in the EU27. Prices in total industry excluding the energy sector increased by 1.7% in the eurozone and by 2% in the EU27. Prices in the energy sector gained 9.3% and 9.7%, respectively. Non-durable consumer goods rose by 2.9% in the eurozone and by 3.3% in the EU27. In both zones, durableconsumer goods increased by 2.4%.Capital goods gained 1.4% in the eurozone and 1.5% in the EU27. Intermediate goods rose by 1.1% and 1.4%, respectively.

The largest increases in the total index were observed in Latvia (+10.2%), Cyprus (+8.6%) and Lithuania (+8.3%), and the smallest in Sweden (+0.2%), Malta (+0.6%) and Slovenia (+0.7%). n