Summary
- In December 2017, telecommunications prices1 did not undergo any alteration compared to the previous month (+1.24% in December 2016).
On a year-on-year basis, prices decreased (-0.15%).
In average annual terms, prices increased by 2.35%, 0.98 percentage points (p.p.) over inflation (1.37%). The increase in prices reported was the 10th highest among the 43 products/services considered.
Since January 2014, telecommunications prices1 have been increasing at average annual rates above the rate of change reported in the CPI.
- In December 2017, in average annual terms, Portugal reported the second highest increase in prices in the EU. On average, telecommunications prices1 in the EU fell by 0.9%.
Since March 2011, telecommunications prices1 have risen more in Portugal than in the EU.
1. Changes in telecommunications prices1 in December 2017
According to INE2, in December 2017, telecommunications prices did not undergo any alteration compared to the previous month (+1.24% in December 2016)1.
Compared with the corresponding month of the previous year, and the average in the last 12 months, telecommunications prices1 changed by -0.15% and by 2.35%, respectively.
|
|
December 2017 |
2016 |
||
|
Var. Year-on-year change |
Var. average 12 months |
Var. previous month |
Var. average 12 months |
|
|
CPI |
1.47% |
1.37% |
-0.04% |
0.61% |
|
Telecommunications1 |
-0.15% |
2.35% |
0.00% |
2.61% |
|
Ranking in descending order (43 groups) |
31 |
10 |
15 |
7 |
Source: INE
Unit: %
Note: The difference between the average variation in the CPI and the telecommunications sub-index from the table in the last 12 months is different from that mentioned in the text due to rounding up.
On a year-on-year basis, the decrease in prices (-0.15%) was the 31st highest among the sectors of the Portuguese economy. The year-on-year rate of change has not been negative since September 2014. The difference between the CPI was -1.61 percentage points (p.p.), the highest negative difference since September 2012.
In average annual terms, the increase in prices reported (2.35%) was the 10th highest among 43 products/services considered.
Since January 2014, telecommunications prices1 have been increasing at average annual rates above the rate of change reported in the CPI. In December 2017, the difference between the two rates was reported at 0.98 percentage points (p.p.), the narrowest since February 2015.
Graph 1 - Average 12-month change in CPI and telecommunications prices1
Source: INE
Unit: %
2. Changes in telecommunication prices1 in the UE.3 in December 2017
According to EUROSTAT4, in December 2017, the increase in prices in average annual terms reported in Portugal was 3.3 percentage points above the EU average3, with Portugal the EU country with the second highest increase in prices. Latvia was the country where prices increased more than in Portugal.
On a year-on-year basis, the variation in telecommunications prices1 in Portugal was the 13th highest among the EU countries3.
|
|
December 2017 |
2016 |
||
|
Var. Year-on-year change |
Var. average 12 months |
Var. previous month |
Var. average 12 months |
|
|
EU3 |
-1.0% |
-0.9% |
-0.1% |
-0.1% |
|
Portugal |
-0.1% |
2.4% |
0.0% |
2.6% |
|
Difference PT / E.U.3 |
0.9 p.p. |
3.3 p.p. |
0.1 p.p. |
2.7 p.p. |
|
Ranking in descending order (26 countries) |
13 |
2 |
8 |
5 |
Source: EUROSTAT
Unit: %, p.p.
Note: Information not available for the United Kingdom. Ireland was also not included in the ranking due to a lack of available information before December 2016.
Since April 2011, telecommunications prices1 have risen more in Portugal than in the EU3 (in average annual terms).
Graph 2 - Average rate of change over the previous 12 months - telecommunications prices: Portugal vs EU3
Source: EUROSTAT
Unit: %
Note: From the publication, by EUROSTAT, on 25 February 2016, of data for January 2016, the reference year of the HICP series was changed from 2005 to 2015. There may be differences in the series due to rounding effects5.
1 ''Telephone and telefax services'' sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and of the Harmonized 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. Analysis of the prices presented in this report should be complemented by an examination of the characteristics of the offers; this information is available in the reports: "Electronic communications bundles", ''Fixed telephone service and nomadic VoIP'', ''Mobile services'', ''Internet access service'' and ''Subscription television service'', all available on ANACOM's website.
2 See “Consumer Price Index – December 2017” (INE, 2018), available at The CPI annual average rate of change was 1.4% in 2017 and the rate of change on a year earlier was 1.5% - December 2017
3 Information not available for the United Kingdom. Information available for Ireland from December 2016.
4 See HICP- monthly data (EUROSTAT, 2017), available at HICP (2015 = 100) - monthly data (index)
5 For further information, go to New HICP reference year 2015 = 100
