Consumer and Food Prices (International Comparisons)

HC Deb 26 July 1978 vol 954 cc778-81W

Mr. John Moore

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the EEC as a whole, for each present member State of the EEC, the United States of America and Japan in (a) each year since 1970 and (b) each quarter since 1974 the percentage increase or decrease, after seasonal adjustment when appropriate, over the previous year or corresponding quarter in the previous year all consumer prices and food prices.

Mr. Maclennan

The percentage changes, as requested, are set out in the tables below. The information has been given for the nine countries of the EEC throughout, although Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom were not members of the Community until 1973. Because of differences in coverage, methodology and timing between the consumer price indices for

CONSUMER PRICES—ALL ITEMS
Percentage change on previous year
		1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977
Belgium*	…	4.0	4.3	5.5	7.0	12.7	12.7	9.2	7.1
Denmark	…	5.8	5.8	6.6	9.3	15.3	9.6	9.1	11.2
France	…	5.3	5.3	6.1	7.3	13.7	11.7	9.6	9.8
Germany	…	3.4	5.3	5.5	6.9	7.0	6.0	4.5	3.9
Ireland	…	8.2	8.9	8.7	11.3	17.0	20.9	18.0	13.6
Italy	…	5.0	4.8	5.7	10.8	19.1	17.0	16.8	18.4
Luxembourg†‡	…	4.6	4.7	5.2	6.1	9.6	10.7	9.8	6.7
Netherlands	…	3.6	7.5	7.8	8.0	9.6	10.2	8.9	6.4
United Kingdom (RPI)	…	6.4	9.4	7.1	9.2	16.1	24.2	16.5	15.8
United States	…	5.9	4.3	3.3	6.2	11.0	9.1	5.8	6.5
Japan	…	7.6	6.1	4.5	11.7	24.5	11.8	9.3	8.1

Percentage change on same quarter a year earlier
			1974	1975	1976
			I	II	III	IV	I	II	III	IV	I
Belgium*	…	…	8.4	11.5	14.6	16.0	15.3	13.5	11.4	11.1	10.3
Denmark	…	…	13.9	14.6	16.2	16.3	13.5	11.5	9.4	4.6	6.4
France	…	…	11.3	13.6	14.5	15.0	14.0	12.1	11.0	9.9	9.6
Germany	…	…	7.4	7.1	7.1	6.4	5.9	6.2	6.0	5.6	5.3
Ireland	…	…	13.4	16.3	17.9	20.0	23.8	24.4	18.9	16.8	16.1
Italy	…	…	14.5	16.4	20.6	24.7	22.6	19.7	15.1	11.6	12.2
Luxembourg†‡	…	7.9	8.7	10.2	11.2	10.7	10.4	10.7	11.2	10.9
Netherlands	…	8.7	8.8	9.8	10.9	10.5	10.3	10.6	9.5	9.1
United Kingdom (RPI)	…	…	12.9	13.9	17.0	18.2	20.3	24.3	26.5	25.3	22.5
United States	…	9.8	10.6	11.5	12.1	11.0	9.6	8.7	7.3	6.4
Japan	…	…	24.5	23.8	24.8	24.6	15.2	13.7	10.6	8.4	9.0

Percentage change on same quarter a year earlier
			1976	1977	1978
			II	III	IV	I	II	III	IV	I	II
Belgium*	…	…	9.5	9.1	7.9	7.7	7.4	6.9	6.4	5.7
Denmark	…	…	8.3	8.0	13.1	10.9	10.1	11.1	12.5	12.6
France	…	…	9.4	9.6	9.9	9.0	9.8	9.9	9.2	9.2
Germany	…	…	4.9	4.2	3.8	4.0	3.8	4.0	3.7	3.1
Ireland	…	…	16.2	18.9	20.6	16.7	14.0	13.5	10.8	8.2
Italy	…	…	16.1	17.1	21.1	21.7	18.9	18.5	15.2	12.8
Luxembourg†‡	…	10.3	9.6	8.4	8.1	7.4	6.4	5.0	3.4
Netherlands	…	9.6	8.2	8.5	7.5	6.6	6.6	5.1	4.6
United Kingdom (RPI)	…	…	15.9	13.7	15.0	16.5	17.4	16.5	13.0	9.5	7.6
United States	…	6.1	5.5	5.0	5.8	6.7	6.6	6.7	6.4
Japan	…	…	9.0	9.3	9.5	9.6	8.8	7.9	6.2	4.3
* Prior to June 1976 excluding rent.
† Excluding rent.
‡ Excluding restaurant meals.

CONSUMER PRICES—FOOD
Percentage change on previous year
				1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977
Belgium§¶	…	…	…	3.5	1.9	6.7	7.9	9.4	11.2	13.5	6.1
Denmark	…	…	…	8.5	5.9	8.6	13.0	12.3	10.3	10.6	12.4
France§	…	…	…	5.9	6.4	7.0	9.7	12.6	11.5	10.0	14.6
Germany†	…	…	…	2.9	3.7	6.2	7.2	4.7	5.3	5.1	5.0
Ireland‡	…	…	…	7.6	7.4	11.8	16.4	14.7	21.5	16.5	18.6
Italy	…	…	…	4.3	4.0	6.3	13.2	19.6	19.7	19.0	20.5
Luxembourg	…	…	…	5.2	3.5	7.0	6.9	9.0	11.2	12.1	4.0
Netherlands§	…	…	…	4.0	4.0	6.2	9.1	7.1	8.1	9.8	5.6
United Kingdom (RPI)	…	6.9	11.1	8.9	15.1	18.0	25.6	20.0	19.0
United States	…	…	…	5.5	3.0	4.4	14.5	14.3	8.5	3.1	6.3
Japan	…	…	…	8.7	5.7	3.9	14.2	28.3	13.1	9.1	9.0

individual countries, the figures are not strictly comparable. In addition, comparisons of increases in retail food prices are further complicated in that the inclusion of alcoholic drink and tobacco varies between countries.

Percentage change on same period a year earlier
		1974	1975	1976
		I	II	III	IV	I	II	III	IV	I
Belgium§¶	…	7.3	7.8	11.0	11.2	10.7	10.4	11.1	12.6	14.2
Denmark	…	12.7	10.0	9.3	11.0	13.0	12.6	11.9	5.7	8.0
France§	…	12.3	13.1	12.7	12.4	11.9	11.3	11.5	11.2	11.1
Germany†	…	5.4	4.5	3.8	4.8	4.4	5.5	6.1	5.1	6.0
Ireland‡	…	11.1	10.9	16.2	20.2	22.7	28.1	19.8	16.0	16.1
Italy	…	14.5	16.4	21.8	28.7	26.8	23.5	18.1	13.1	14.5
Luxembourg¶	…	8.3	7.4	9.6	10.7	8.6	10.4	12.5	13.5	15.4
Netherlands§	…	9.2	7.6	8.4	10.0	7.3	8.7	8.5	7.7	8.8
United Kingdom (RPI)	…	19.1	17.7	17.7	17.7	20.7	27.4	28.4	25.5	24.2
United States*	…	19.5	15.5	10.8	12.5	9.0	8.5	9.7	7.2	4.8
Japan	…	29.6	26.9	30.3	31.1	17.2	17.1	11.9	10.4	9.3

Percentage change on same period a year earlier
		1976	1977	1978
		II	III	IV	I	II	III	IV	I	II
Belgium§¶	…	13.5	10.3	9.7	9.6	6.7	7.8	6.1	3.2
Denmark	…	10.2	8.1	16.1	12.8	10.8	12.6	12.8	12.2
France§	…	10.7	10.7	11.8	11.8	13.3	13.7	12.2	11.0
Germany†	…	5.4	4.5	4.7	5.3	5.1	5.5	4.4	2.3
Ireland‡	…	12.7	16.4	20.9	18.2	16.4	19.5	11.9	9.6
Italy	…	18.6	19.1	23.4	23.8	20.2	21.4	17.3	14.3
Luxembourg¶	…	13.7	10.9	8.9	6.9	4.6	3.3	1.4	0.3
Netherlands§	…	9.6	10.2	10.3	8.8	7.8	6.9	4.1	2.8
United Kingdom (RPI)	…	17.8	16.2	22.1	22.0	21.9	21.0	11.9	6.8	6.6
United States*	…	4.5	2.3	0.6	3.8	6.8	7.1	7.6	7.8
Japan	…	9.4	9.1	7.2	8.9	7.7	7.0	5.7	3.1
* Seasonally adjusted series.
† Including beverages and tobacco.
‡ Excluding beverages and tobacco.
§ Including beverages.
¶ Excluding restaurant meals