Consumer inflation fell in both areas of the EU in November according to a statistical bulletin from Eurostat. Inflation in the euro area fell by 0.1% from 0.4% in October to 0.3% in November 2014. In the EU28 similarly the rate of inflation fell from 0.5% in October to 0.4% in November.
There were negative annual rates in Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Poland with Bulgaria showing a rate of -1.9%. The highest rates were in Romania and Austria with annual rates of 1.5% and Finland on 1.1%.
Euro area annual inflation was 0.3% in September 2014, the lowest rate since October 2009 according to Eurostat. In August the rate was 0.4%. In September 2013 the rate was 1.1%. The monthly inflation rate in September 2014 was 0.4%.
In The European Union as a whole annual inflation was 0.4% in September 2014 down from 0.5% in August. It is the lowest rate since September 2009. In September 2013 the rate was 1.3%. The monthly rate in September 2014 was 0.3%.
High negative inflation growth was reported in Bulgaria (-1.4%) and Greece (-1.1%) and high annual rates were reported in Romania (1.8%), Finland (1.5%) and Austria (1.4%).
The euro area annual inflation rate in June 2014 was stable compared with May at 0.5% according to Eurostat. The European Union annual inflation ratio increased to 0.7% from 0.6% in May. Monthly inflation in the euro area and the wider European Union was 0.1% in June. The UK recorded the highest inflation rate in June with 1.9%.
Industrial production fell in May 2014 compared with April 2014 across Europe according to a statistical bulletin from Eurostat. The fall was 1.1% in both zones. In April both zones increased their index by 0.7%. The annual comparison of May 2014 with May 2013 shows that industrial production grew by 0.5% in the euro area and 1.1% in the EU.
House prices in the euro area fell by 0.3% as measured by the House Price Index (HPI) and increased by 1% in the EU during the first quarter of 2014 compared with the same period last year. When compared with the fourth quarter of 2013 the HPI fell by 0.3% in the euro area and rose by 0.2% in the EU according to Eurostat.
The biggest annual falls in house prices according to the HPI were in Croatia with -9.7%, Slovenia -6.6% and Cyprus -5.7%. The biggest increases were in Estonia with 17.5% and Latvia with 10.4%. The UK was next with an increase of 8%. The biggest falls over the quarter were in Croatia with -2.7%, Luxembourg with -2.3% and Slovenia -1.7%. THe highest increases were in Estonia with an increase of 4.8%, Sweden with an increase of 2.4% and the UK with an increase of 2.2%.
Euro area inflation (MUICP) is expected to fall to 0.5% in May 2014 from 0.7% in April according to the latest flash estimate from Eurostat. The services sector is expected to have the highest rate in May with 1.1%, followed by food, alcohol and tobacco with 0.1%, non-energy industrial goods and energy bot with 0.0%.
March 2014 saw retail trade increase across Europe by 0.3%. In February the increase in trade had been 0.1% in the euro area and 0.3% in the EU28. The annual comparison shows that in March 2014 compared with March 2013 the increase was 0.9% in the euro area and 1.6% in the EU28.
The 0.3% increase in the volume of retail trade on the monthly comparison in the euro area is due to a rise of 1.3% in the food, drinks and tobacco sector while the volume fell by 0.3% in the non-food sector and 0.1% in automotive fuel. In the EU28 the rise was due t rises of 1% for automotive fuel and 0.7% for food, drinks and tobacco.
The biggest increases were seen in Estonia and Latvia with 2.8%, France 2.3% and Romania with 2.2%. The decreases were in Portugal with a decrease of 1.7%, Austria with 0.9%, Germany, Ireland and Slovenia all with 0.7%.
The increase of 0.9% in volume over the year was due to rises of 1.9% in the non-food sector, 0.3% in automotive fuel and 0.3% in food, drinks and tobacco in the euro sector. The increase of 1.6% in the volume of retail trade in the EU28 was due to rises of 3.3% in the non-food sector and 1.8% for automotive fuel. Food, drinks and tobacco fell by 0.1%.
Romania saw the biggest increase with a rise of 13.4% in volume, Luxembourg was next with 12.1% and Hungary with 8.4%. Malta with -2%, Finland with -1.3%, Slovenia -1.1% and Spain with -0.6% saw the biggest decreases in volume of retail trade.
In January 2014 industrial production in the euro area fell by 0.2% and increased by 0.1% in EU28 according to a statistical release from Eurostat. In December 2013 industrial production fell in both zones. The annual comparison for January suggests that industrial production increased by 2.1% in the euro area and 2.4% in the EU28.
European retail volumes were up by 1.6% in the euro area in January compared with December 2013 according to Eurostat. The EU28 reported increases of 0.9%. In January 2014 compared with January 2013 retail trade increased by 1.3% and 1.9% respectively.
The increase in the monthly comparison in the euro area is due mainly to increases in the non-food sector of 1.9%, 1.5% for automotive fuel and 1.1% for food, drinks and tobacco. In the EU 28 the rise is due to an increase of 1.4% for automotive fuel, 1.3% for non-food sector and 0.3% for food, drinks and tobacco.
The main contributors to the 1.3% increase in the volume of retail trade in the annual comparison in the euro area were increases of 2.9% for automotive fuel, 2.5% in the non-food sector while food drinks and tobacco fell by 0.4%. In the EU28 the 0.9% increase was due to increases of 3.6% in the non-food sector, 2.1% in automotive fuel and 0.1% in food, drinks and tobacco.
Euro area annual inflation was 0.7% in October down from 1.1% in September 2013 while European Union inflation was 0.9% down from 1.3%. Euro area monthly inflation was -0.1% in October and monthly inflation in the European Union as a whole was -0.1% in October.
The euro area had an international trade in goods surplus of 13.1bn euro in September 2013 according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. This compares with a surplus of 8.6m euro in September 2012. September's surplus also compares well with the 6.9bn euro surplus of August 2013. Seasonally adjusted exports rose by 1% in September 2013 when compared with August but imports fell by 0.3%.
Early estimates also suggest that extra-EU28 trade in goods showed a 0.6bn euro surplus compared with a deficit of 14.5bn euro in September 2012. Seasonally adjusted exports rose by 0.2% while imports fell by 0.2%.
Industrial producer prices in Europe went up by 0.1% in both the euro area and the EU28 in September compared with August 2013 according to a statistical bulletin from Eurostat. Over the year to September 2013 industrial producer prices fell by 0.9% in the euro area and 0.5% in the EU28.
Prices in total industry excluding energy fell by 0.1% in both zones over the month. Energy prices increased by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU28. Consumer durables increased by 0.1% in both zones and capital goods and non-durable consumer goods remained unchanged but intermediate goods fell by 0.1%.
Over the year, total industry prices excluding energy fell by 0.1% in the euro area and rose by 0.1% in the EU28. Energy prices decreased by 2.7% and 2.4% respectively. Intermediate goods fell by 1.5% in the euro area and 1.3% in the EU28 Capital goods increased by 0.6% and 0.7% respectively. Durables increased by 0.8% in the euro area and 0.5% in the EU28 and non-durables increased by 1.6% and 1.8% respectively.
Retail trade volumes were up by 0.7% in the euro area in August compared with July 2013 according to estimates from Eurostat. In the EU28 volumes were up by 0.4%. In July both zones reported increases of 0.5%. Over the year the retail index fell by 0.3% in the euro area but increased by 0.3% in the EU28.
Industrial producer prices remained stable in the euro area in August 2013 according to a statistical release from Eurostat, compared with an increase of 0.2% in July. However, in the EU28 factory gate prices increased by 0.1% compared with an increase of 0.4% in July.
The annual comparison for August 2012 and 2013 shows that prices increased by 0.8% in the euro area over the year and in the EU28 by 0.3%.
European annual inflation increased in both zones in June 2013 compared to May going up 1.6% in the euro area and 1.7% in the EU27. Monthly inflation increased by 0.1% in both zones in June. Romania had the highest annual rate with 4.5% and Greece the lowest with -0.3%. The lowest 12 month average rate was in Greece with 0.2% and Romania the highest 4.5%.
Seasonally adjusted figures for industrial production fell by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU27 compared with April according to Eurostat. Production had increased in April by 0.5% and 0.3% respectively.
The production of consumer durables decreased by 2.3% in the euro area and 2.1% in the EU27. Capital goods decreased by by 1.5% and 1.9% respectively and intermediate goods by 0.4% and 0.2% respectively. Energy rose by 0.1% in the euro area and fell by 0.3% in the EU27. Non-durable consumer goods increased by 0.6% in the euro area and fell by 0.1% in the EU27.
Nationally, the largest decreases were in Romania (-10.7%), Lithuania (-6.3%) and Sweden (-3.8%). Portugal (6.1%), Latvia (2.2%) and Estonia (2%) saw the largest increases.
GDP in the euro area fell by 0.2% and the EU27 by 0.1% in Q1 2013 compared with the Q4 of 2012 according to a statistical release from Eurostat on the second estimates for GDP in member states. Compared to the same quarter in the previous year GDP fell by 1.1% in the euro area and 0.7% in the EU27.
Household Final Consumption Expenditure increased by 0.1% in both zones but still contributed negatively to GDP growth. Capital formation fell in both zones as did both exports and imports.
Unemployment in the euro area rose to 12.2% in April 2013 a small increase on the 12.1% in March. The EU27 unemployment rate remained unchanged at 11%. The annual comparison shows a marked increase in unemployment in Europe since last year. In the euro area the unemployment rate was 11.2% and the EU27 had an unemployment rate of 10.3%.
The numbers of unemployed people in Europe were estimated to have been 26.588m. The euro area accounted for 19.375m of them. The lowest rates of unemployment were reported in Austria and Germany with 4.9% and 5.4% respectively. The highest rates were reported in Greece and Spain with 27% and 26.8% respectively.
These countries also reported the lowest and the highest rates for youth unemployment. Austria had 8% and Germany 7.5% youth unemployment and Greece had 62.5% and Spain 56.4% youth unemployment.
The volume of retail trade in Europe fell in March 2013 compared with February 2013 by 0.1% in the euro area and 0.2% in the EU27. The figures from Eurostat also include the annual comparison and between March 2012 and March 2013 the index fell by 2.4% in the euro area and 1.6% in the EU27.
During March the food, drinks and tobacco sector increased by 0.8% in the euro area and by 1% in the EU27 but the non-food sector fell by 0.5% and 0.6% respectively. Total retail trade fell in nine countries and rose in eleven. Over the year food, drinks and tobacco fell by 1.2% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU27 but the non-food sector fell even more by 3.3% and 2% respectively. Retail trade fell in fourteen countries and rose in seven. The biggest fall in retail trade was in Spain with -10.5%.
The industrial producer prices index, that reflects price changes at the factory gates of Europe, fell by 0.2% in both zones (EA17 & EU27) during March as compared with February according to the latest statistical bulletin from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. The annual comparison between March 2012 and March 2013 shows that industrial producer prices increased 0.7% in both zones.
The monthly comparison shows that energy prices fell by 0.6% in both zones and capital goods were stable while non-durable goods prices increased by 0.1% in both zones. Intermediate goods prices increased by 0.1% in the euro area and were unchanged in the EU27. Durables prices rose by 0.1% in the euro area but fell by 0.1% in the EU27.
In March 2013 compared with March 2012 total industry prices excluding energy rose by 1% in the euro area and 1.1% in the EU27. Durables gained 0.6% in both zones and intermediate goods prices gained 0.4% in both zones. Non-durables prices increased by 2.1% in the euro area and 2.3% in the EU27 and capital goods prices increased by 0.7% and 0.8% respectively.
