Eurostat: Bulgaria had lowest price levels for household consumption in EU in 2024
In 2024, price levels for household final consumption expenditure differed widely across the EU, with Bulgaria coming in lowest, according to figures posted on June 19 by the bloc’s statistics agency Eurostat.
Household final consumption expenditure, abbreviated as HFCE, consists of the total outlay on individual goods and services by resident households, including those sold at below-market prices.
HFCE includes imputed expenditures or transactions which do not occur in monetary terms and can therefore not be measured directly.
The highest price levels for household consumption were recorded in Denmark (143 per cent of the EU average), Ireland (138 per cent) and Luxembourg (133 per cent). Meanwhile, the lowest levels were registered in Bulgaria (60 per cent), Romania (64 per cent) and Poland (72 per cent).
In 2024, the price level for alcohol and tobacco was 3 times higher in Ireland (205 per cent of the EU average), the most expensive country in this respect, than in Bulgaria (69 per cent), the least costly. Following Ireland, high price levels for alcohol and tobacco were also recorded in Finland (175 per cent) and France (137 per cent).
On the other hand, besides Bulgaria, low levels were also observed in Poland and Slovakia (both 83 per cent). This large price variation is mainly due to differences in taxation on these products.
Restaurants and hotels ranked second in terms of price level difference, with the highest price levels registered in Denmark (148 per cent of the EU average), Ireland (129 per cent) and Finland (127 per cent). Bulgaria (53 per cent), Romania (69 per cent) and Hungary (72 per cent) recorded the lowest price levels.
Clothing ranked third in terms of price level variation, with the highest clothing prices found in Denmark (133 per cent), Sweden and Finland (both 120 per cent), while the least expensive were in Bulgaria (79 per cent), Hungary and Romania (both 85 per cent).
Disparities were also recorded for food and non-alcoholic beverages (varying from 76 per cent of the EU average in Romania to 125 per cent in Luxembourg), personal transport equipment (varying from 89 per cent in Slovakia to 120 per cent in Denmark) and consumer electronics (ranging from 89 per cent in Italy to 115 per cent in Finland).
