Informations Rapides · 14 January 2022 · n° 010

Consumer prices accelerated on average from 2020 to 2021 Price Index – Annual average rates of change - year 2021

On average over the year, consumer prices accelerated sharply in 2021. The inflation was up by 1.6% after +0.5% in 2020 and +1.1% in 2019. Excluded tobacco, consumer prices were also more dynamic in 2021: +1.6%, after +0.2% in 2020. The increase in inflation resulted, on the one hand, from a rebound in the prices of energy and manufactured products, and on the other hand, from an acceleration in the prices of services. Contrariwise, the slowdown in food and tobacco prices moderated the global increase. Core inflation was also higher in 2021, +1.1%, after +0.6% in 2020.

In 2021, the prices of energy rebounded sharply (+10.5% on average, after −6.1% in 2020) in the wake of those of petroleum products (+13.5% after −11.8%). The dynamic was the same in natural and town gas prices (+24.1% after −11.3%) with a marked acceleration in the second semester. In contrast, the prices of electricity slowed down (+3.0% after +5.9%).

The prices of transport services also rebounded (+3.8% after −1.7%) linked with those of transport by rail (+1.9% after −5.3%) and airfares (+3.8% after −4.4%). The prices of transport by road increased again (+3.4% after +3.0%) in the wake of those of transport by taxi and hired car with driver (+4.0% after +1.1%). The prices of transport by sea and inland waterway accelerated (+7.0% after +3.7%).

In 2021, the prices of services for dwellings (actual rentals, supply of water and refuse collection fees) accelerated: +1.1% on average, after +0.3% in 2020. The prices of actual rentals rose by 0.9% after +0.4% in 2020. Those of the other housing services – mainly supply of water and refuse collection fees – slowed down slightly (+0.9% after +1.0%).

The prices of communication services increased (2.9% after +1.0% in 2020) in link with the acceleration in those of internet access provision services (+5.5% after +1.6%) and those of bundled telecommunication services (+6.9% after +1.2%). The prices of postal services were always very dynamic: +7.1% after +6.9% in 2020.

In 2021, the prices of manufactured products rebounded by 0.3% after −0.2% in 2020. The prices of clothing and footwear increased by 0.1%, after −0.5%: those of clothing fell back slightly (−0.1% after +0.1%) but those of footwear rebound (+1.1% after −2.5%). The prices of « other manufactured products » increased for the second consecutive year (+0.7% after +0.3%) due to those of furniture and furnishings (+3.2% after +2.0%), household appliances (+0.2% after −0.5%), glassware, tableware and household utensils (+1.7% after +0.7%) and tools and equipment for house and garden (+0.9% after +0.5%). The prices of vehicles rose slightly (+0.5% after +0.4%).

Moreover, the prices of health products fell less strongly than in 2020 (−1.2% after −2.0%) in link with those of pharmaceutical products (−1.5% after −2.6%).

The prices of health services fell back in 2021: −0.5% after +0.4% in 2020 linked with the dental service prices (−0.8% after +0.9%) and the paramedical service prices (−1.3% after +0.0%). The prices of medical services advanced at the same rate as in the previous year (+0.5%).

The prices of « other services » increased less strongly than in 2021: +1.2% on average after +1.4% in 2020. The prices of catering services (+0.6% after +1.3%), maintenance and repair of personal transport equipment (+2.8% after +3.2%), recreational and cultural services (+0.7% after +0.9%) and social protection services (+1.3% after +2.0%) slowed down. In contrast, the prices of accommodation services rebounded sharply (+2.7% after −0.4%) due to the economic recovery. The prices of insurance services accelerated (+1.0% after +0.7%) linked with those of private insurance connected with health (+0.6% after −0.2%).

In 2021, the food prices slowed down sharply: +0.6% on average after +1.9% in 2020. The prices of fresh produces expanded at a slower pace (+1.9% after +7.3%) in the wake of those of fresh fruits (+4.0% after +9.1%), fresh vegetables (+0.4% after +8.7%) and fresh fish (−0.2% after +5.6%). Excluding fresh produces, food prices slowed down: +0.4% after +1.0%. The prices of meat (+0.9% after +2.7%), bread and cereals (+0.5% after +0.6%) and alcoholic beverages (+0.8% after +1.0%) decelerated. The prices of milk, cheese and eggs advanced at the same rate as in the previous year (+0.2%) and those of non-alcoholic beverages are stable (+0.0%).

In the absence of further tax increases, tobacco prices slow down in 2021: +5.5% after +13.7% in 2020.

According to their consumption structure, households were subject to a global inflation more or less pronounced but higher than in 2020. Thus, in 2021, the increase in prices was more marked, in average, for households over 60 years of age (+1.8%). Furthermore, inflation was 0.2 points higher than the average for owners, and very close for renter households. In 2021, for farmers and the households in the first two deciles of standard of living, the inflation was above average (between 0.2 and 0.3 points).