Comparative Price Levels for Food, Beverages and Tobacco 2018

2018 Price Level Indices for Selected Categories (EU28=100)

This statistical release focuses primarily on the price levels of Food, Beverages and Tobacco across 37 European countries. The Price Level Indices use the 28 countries in the European Union as the "base country" (EU28=100). The information is compiled using data collection collected as part of the Eurostat-OECD Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) Programme.

The country groups included in the analysis are:

• the 28 Member States of the European Union (EU)
• the three European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland)
• the five candidate countries (Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey)
• the potential candidate country (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The Food, Beverages and Tobacco Survey was carried out in 2018 within the Eurostat-OECD Purchasing Power Parities (PPP) Programme. Prices were collected for over 400 individual items covering the main broad categories including, Bread and Cereals; Meat; Fish; Milk, Cheese and Eggs; Oils and Fats; Fruits, Vegetables and Potatoes; Non-alcoholic Beverages; Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. See Background Notes for further details.

The results of the survey are expressed in Price Level Indices, which provide a comparison of countries’ price levels with respect to the EU28 average (100). If the price level index is higher than 100, the country concerned is relatively more expensive compared to the EU28 average, while on the other hand, if the price level index is lower than 100, then the country is less expensive compared to the EU28 average. See Background Notes for further details.

Table 1.1 summarises the main results with a particular focus on the Irish price levels. Of the 37 countries Ireland was joint 8th most expensive for Food, with Sweden. When we look at the results in more detail below we will see that Ireland’s position varied from being the 22nd most expensive for Oils and Fats to being the joint 6th most expensive for Fruits, Vegetables & Potatoes and Milk, Cheese and Eggs. Of the Eurozone countries Ireland was joint 4th most expensive for Food, Austria, Luxembourg and Finland had higher price levels.

For Non-alcoholic beverages, a category including minerals, water, tea & coffee, Ireland was the 2nd most expensive of the 37 countries and most expensive of the European Union countries.

Of the European Union countries Ireland was the 2nd most expensive for both Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. Of the 37 countries Ireland was the 4th most expensive for Alcohol and the 3rd most expensive for Tobacco.