Summary
- In June 2015, telecommunications prices in Portugal1 were unchanged from the previous month.
In year-on-year terms, the increase in prices (4.76 percent) was the 3rd highest among the sectors of the Portuguese economy.
On average annual terms, prices increased by 1.52 percent, 1.53 percentage points over inflation (-0.01 percent). This increase over CPI is the largest reported since at least 2010. The increase in prices was the 9th highest among the 43 products/services considered.
Telecommunications prices2 have been increasing at average annual rates above the rate of change reported in CPI since January 2014.
- On average annual terms, Portugal was the EU country with the 4th highest increase in prices. Only 3 countries reported increases that were higher than in Portugal: Austria, Cyprus and Poland. On average, telecommunications prices3 in the EU have been falling (-1.18 percent).
Since March 2011, telecommunications prices have increased more in Portugal than in the EU.
1. Trends in telecommunications prices - June 2015
According to INE (Statistics Portugal)4, in June 2015, telecommunications prices5 in Portugal increased by 4.76 percent versus June 2014 and by 1.52 percent on average over the last twelve months. In relation to the previous month, prices are unchanged.
|
|
June 2015 |
2014 |
||
|
Year-on-Year change |
Average change 12 months |
Change versus prior month |
Average change 12 months |
|
|
CPI |
0.80% |
-0.01% |
-0.08% |
-0.28% |
|
Telecommunications |
4.76% |
1.52% |
0.00% |
0.59% |
|
Ranking in descending order (43 groups) |
3 |
9 |
15 |
16 |
Source: INE (Statistics Portugal)
Unit: %
On a year-on-year basis, the increase in prices (4.76 percent) was the 3rd highest among the sectors of the Portuguese economy and the largest reported since March 2011. The difference between this increase and the change in CPI was reported at 3.96 percentage points – the largest difference since at least 2010.
On average terms, the annual increase in prices reported (+1.52 percent) was the 9th highest among 43 products/service considered.
Since January 2014, telecommunications prices7 have been increasing at average annual rates above the rate of change reported in CPI. In June 2015, the difference between the two rates was reported at 1.53 percentage points - the widest since at least 2010.
Graph 1 - Monthly change in CPI and telecommunications prices8
Source: INE (Statistics Portugal)
Unit: %
2. Trends in EU telecommunications prices9 June 2015
According to EUROSTAT10, in June 2015, the average annual increase in prices reported in Portugal was 2.70 percentage points above the EU average, so that the price increase in Portugal is the 4th largest among EU countries. Only three countries reported increases that were higher than in Portugal: Austria, Cyprus and Poland. In all other countries, apart from Croatia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia and Greece, prices fell.
|
|
June 2015 |
2014 |
||
|
Year-on-Year change |
Average change 12 months |
Change versus prior month |
Average change 12 months |
|
|
EU |
-0.03% |
-1.18% |
0.10% |
-1.94% |
|
Portugal |
4.76% |
1.52% |
0.00% |
0.58% |
|
PT / EU difference |
4.80 p.p |
2.70 p.p |
-0.10 p.p |
2.53 p.p |
|
Ranking in descending order (23 countries) |
1 |
4 |
8 |
6 |
Source: EUROSTAT
Unit: %, p.p.
Note: Information for Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom not available.
In relation to June 2014, telecommunications prices12 in Portugal have increased more than across the EU13, while EU prices have fallen.
Since March 2011, telecommunications prices14 have risen more in Portugal than in the EU (in terms of average annual change).
Graph 2 – Average rate of change over previous twelve months - telecommunications prices: Portugal vs. EU
Source: EUROSTAT
Unit: %
1 "Telephone, telegraph and telefax services" sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and of the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP), which comprises voice, Internet and subscription TV (STV) services acquired on a stand-alone basis or as part of a bundle of services.
2 "Telephone, telegraph and telefax services" sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and of the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP), which comprises voice, Internet and subscription TV (STV) services acquired on a stand-alone basis or as part of a bundle of services.
3 "Telephone, telegraph and telefax services" sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and of the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP), which comprises voice, Internet and subscription TV (STV) services acquired on a stand-alone basis or as part of a bundle of services.
4 See "Consumer Price Index" – June 2015” (INE, 2015), available at CPI annual rate of change was 0.8% in June - June 2015
5 "Telephone, telegraph and telefax services" sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and of the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP), which comprises voice, Internet and subscription TV (STV) services acquired on a stand-alone basis or as part of a bundle of services.
6 "Telephone, telegraph and telefax services" sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and of the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP), which comprises voice, Internet and subscription TV (STV) services acquired on a stand-alone basis or as part of a bundle of services.
7 "Telephone, telegraph and telefax services" sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and of the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP), which comprises voice, Internet and subscription TV (STV) services acquired on a stand-alone basis or as part of a bundle of services.
8 "Telephone, telegraph and telefax services" sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and of the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP), which comprises voice, Internet and subscription TV (STV) services acquired on a stand-alone basis or as part of a bundle of services.
9 "Telephone, telegraph and telefax services" sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and of the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP), which comprises voice, Internet and subscription TV (STV) services acquired on a stand-alone basis or as part of a bundle of services.
10 See HICP- monthly data (EUROSTAT, 2015), available at Eurostat - monthly data (index)
11 "Telephone, telegraph and telefax services" sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and of the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP), which comprises voice, Internet and subscription TV (STV) services acquired on a stand-alone basis or as part of a bundle of services.
12 "Telephone, telegraph and telefax services" sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and of the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP), which comprises voice, Internet and subscription TV (STV) services acquired on a stand-alone basis or as part of a bundle of services.
13 Information for Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom not available. Information for Estonia available from 2011.
14 "Telephone, telegraph and telefax services" sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and of the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP), which comprises voice, Internet and subscription TV (STV) services acquired on a stand-alone basis or as part of a bundle of services.
