June 19 (BTA) - According to a Eurostat publication on
 Friday, price levels for consumer goods and services differed
widely in the European Union. Denmark (141 per cent of the EU
average) had the highest price level, followed by Ireland
(134per cent), Luxembourg (131 per cent), Finland (127 per cent)
 and Sweden (121 per cent). At the opposite end of the scale,
the lowest price levels were found in Bulgaria (53 per cent) and
 Romania ( 55 per cent). In other words, price levels for
consumer goods and services in the EU varied by almost one to
three between the cheapest and the most expensive Member State.

In 2019, the price level of food and non-alcoholic beverages
across the EU was almost twice as high in the most expensive
Member State as in the cheapest one. Price levels ranged from 66
 per cent of the EU average in Romania and 70 per cent in
Poland, to 129 per cent of the average in Denmark, followed by
Luxembourg and Austria (both 124per cent).

The lowest price level for alcoholic beverages and tobacco in
2019 was registered in Bulgaria (62 per cent of the average),
ahead of Poland (74 per cent), Hungary and Romania (both 75 per
cent). At the opposite end of the scale, the highest prices were
 observed in Ireland (188 per cent), followed at a distance by
Finland (157 per cent) and Sweden (131 per cent).

Restaurants and hotels were more than 3 times more expensive in
Denmark than in Bulgaria. Price levels ranged from 45 per cent
in Bulgaria and 54 per cent Romania to 156 per cent in Denmark.

Smaller disparities were registered for consumer electronics,
personal transport equipment and clothes.

Consumer electronics is a group of products where prices
differed less among Member States, ranging from 91 per cent of
the average in Poland and 92 per cent in Bulgaria to 111 per
cent in France.

Clothing was cheapest in Bulgaria (79 per cent of the average)
and most expensive in Denmark (132 per cent).

Price differences among Member States were also limited for
personal transport equipment, from 82 per cent in Slovakia to 87
 per cent in Bulgaria, to 138 per cent in Denmark.

RI/MT
/МТ/