Inflation decreased to 1.9% in April 2021 (HICP: 1.9%)

Press release: 12.519-110/21

Vienna,2021-05-19 - In April 2021, the inflation ratewas 1.9%, as Statistics Austria reports (March 2021: 2.0%). The expenditures for housing, water and energy (+2.9% compared to April 2020) proved to be the most important price driver, followed by fuels (+12.7%).

The consumer price index (CPI 2020)was at 101.8, while the average price level decreased by 0.1% compared to March 2021.

'After an inflation rate of 2.0% in March, the inflation rate fell slightly to 1.9% in April 2021. In a year-on-year comparison, the price increase can be attributed, among other things, to the unusually low fuel prices in April of the previous year. Within one year, fuel prices have risen by 12.7% and have now reached the pre-crisis level of February 2020 again,' says Statistics Austria Director General Tobias Thomas.

The measures to contain COVID-19 had a larger impact on the calculationof the inflation rate than in March, because in the federal states Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland a regional lockdown came into force: The retail sector, personal services like hairdressers and museums and zoos were closed. In April nationwide closed sectors were: gastronomy, theatre, tourism, entertainment, leisure and sport. Where necessary, different imputation methods like seasonal imputation, all items imputation or carry-forward were applied. In total, this affected about 16.4% of the weight of the basket of goods and services. For further in-depth explanation of the general principles and applied computation methods, please refer to the methodological information note (PDF, 1 MB) on the compilation of the CPI in the context of COVID-19.

The index level of the harmonised index of consumer prices(HICP 2015)was 110.83 in April 2021 with a harmonised inflation rate at 1.9%.

For more detailed information please refer to the German version.