The CPI shows the change in the prices of consumer goods and services.

The latest data shows food was 3.4 percent and services 3.8 percent more expensive than in March last year.

Lauri Veski, the consumer price statistics service manager at Statistics Estonia, said that diesel fuel and petrol prices have risen to record levels due to the armed conflicts in the Middle East, and this had a significant impact on the consumer price index for March.

The year-on-year rise was influenced the most by the increase in the prices of food products (4.2 percent), transport (7 percent) and health products and services (11.7 percent).

"In transport, prices were mainly driven up by the higher cost of diesel fuel and petrol. The increased prices in the health group are related to the revision of the price lists of health care services in April last year. The index rise was slowed down by the prices of clothing and footwear which fell by 5.6 percent year on year," Veski said.

Compared with March last year, prices were up by 9.2 percent for fresh or frozen meat, by 12.2 percent for chocolate and by 14.2 percent for coffee. The price of butter has fallen for five months in a row, and in March butter was 24.9 percent cheaper than in March last year.

Compared with February 2026, the index for March was influenced the most by 14.1 percent cheaper electricity and by 0.6 percent cheaper food and non-alcoholic beverages. The increase in the prices of diesel fuel (26.8 percent) and petrol (14.2%) had the opposite effect on the index.

The fall in food prices compared with February was mainly due to the decrease in the prices of vegetables (2.6 percent), coffee (6.1 percent) and butter (13.3 percent).

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