Malta: Highest increase in industrial prices in the EU

Industrial producer prices in the EU fell by 3.0 percent in July, compared with the same month last year. Decreases were observed in every member state except for Slovenia and Slovakia (both +0.3%) and Malta (+1.7%).

Figures by Eurostat show that, year-on-year, producer prices for energy dropped by 11.2 percent across the EU and by 11.6 in the euro area, the industrial category with the largest decrease in both zones. Prices for durable consumer goods, on the other hand, registered the biggest rise both in the EU (+1.7) and the euro area (+1.6%).

Lithuania saw the sharpest fall in annual industrial prices, down by 8.5 percent, followed by Cyprus (-6.7%) and Italy (-5.4%).

European domestic market indices for total industry grew for the second consecutive month in July, rising by 0.4 percent in the EU and by 0.6 in the euro area, compared with June. The highest increase was recorded in Belgium (+2.3%), followed by Spain (+1.8%) and Bulgaria (+1.6%). Cyprus, Estonia, and Sweden were at the other end of the scale, registering decreases of 2.2 percent, 2.1 percent, and 0.8 percent, respectively.

Malta registered no change month-on-month for the third time in a row.