(22 June 2020) – In 2019, the year before COVID-19 containment measures began to be introduced by Member States, price levels for consumer goods and services differed widely in the EU27.
Denmark (141% of the EU average) had the highest price level, followed by Ireland (134%), Luxembourg (131%), Finland (127%) and Sweden (121%).
At the opposite end of the scale, the lowest price levels were found in Bulgaria (53%) and Romania (55%). 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.
Together with alcoholic beverages & tobacco, restaurants & hotels is the category where large differences in price levels were observed. They ranged from 60% or less of the EU average in Bulgaria (45%) and Romania (54%) to 156% in Denmark.