Provisional estimates show that when comparing August 2008 to the corresponding month last year, the industrial producer price index of the sampled enterprises increased by 11.7 per cent, primarily due to higher energy prices.

Monthly changes -In August 2008, compared with the previous month, producer prices in total industry increased by 0.2 per cent. Prices in the domestic market were unchanged for the Capital Goods, Consumer Durables and Energy sectors.

Slight decreases were registered for the Consumer Non-Durables and the Intermediate Goods sectors.

Non-eurozone as well as eurozone export prices were unchanged during the comparable months for Consumer Durables.

Increases of 1.1 per cent and 0.5 per cent were registerd for the eurozone Consumer Non-Durables and Intermediate Goods sectors respectively. The non-eurozone Capital Goods Sector also registered an increase of 1.3 per cent. Eurozone Capital Goods as well as non-eurozone Consumer Non-Durables and Intermediate Goods remained unchanged.

Annual changes - When comparing August 2008 to the same month last year, producer prices registered increases in the domestic market for all Main Industrial Groupings (MIGs), except for Consumer Durable Goods.

On the other hand, decreases were registered in the eurozone export market, except for the Consumer Non Durables. In the non-eurozone export market decreases were registered in the Capital Goods, Consumer Non- Durables and Intermediate Goods sectors.