Irish Consumer Price are 18% Above EU Average

JTMan · 01-01-2013 06:06PM #1

A great detailed NWL article ...

Why is Ireland still a rip-off country?

http://namawinelake.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/why-is-ireland-still-a-rip-off-country/

he latest European survey of consumer price comparisons and contains exclusively obtained information from Eurostat on comparative European incomes – in summary, our household earnings are now 3.8% above the European average – compared with 6.6% above in 2009 – but our consumer prices are a whopping 18% ABOVE the European average

L1011 · 01-01-2013 07:37PM

The countries with significantly lower prices generally have salaries that are lower again beyond that - Romania 60% of average price, 45% of average salary. We're nowhere near as bad as that article tries to make out from the very data it provides.

sandin · 01-01-2013 10:27PM

Big yawn - very old news. Originally released in June and based on 2011 figures. An in depth look at the figures showed that Ireland was just below average of what is called the eu15 - hence as it showed that prices were close to those of the older eu countries, it simply did not make headlines.

Alun · 02-01-2013 12:42PM

That's the nature of averages :rolleyes:

rubadub · 02-01-2013 06:42PM

Note this is apparently prices, rather than what people are actually paying, there can be a big difference and I doubt it is equal across countries. You have to be very careful with any surveys like these, when I saw the figures in some of them I copped on they do not apply to me, or typical consumers I notice.

e.g. the average price paid for beer per 500ml can in offies or supermarkets is going to be much less than the average price of a 500ml can of beer in that same outlet.

In more recent times in Ireland I have seen bigger discrepancies here of price vs what is typically paid. i.e. bogus half price offers etc.

The likes of the big mac index can be skewed if they have other much cheaper options they are most probably being subsidised by expensive big macs. e.g. it probably has about the same ingredients as the €2 double cheeseburger. So has to cost more to end up with reasonable profits overall.

Critics of the presidency of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in Argentina and many economists believe that the government has for years falsified consumer price data to understate the country's true inflation rate.[14] The Economist stated in January 2011 that Big Mac index "does support claims that Argentina’s government is cooking the books. The gap between its average annual rate of burger inflation (19%) and its official rate (10%) is far bigger than in any other country."[12] That year the press began reporting on unusual behavior by the more than 200 Argentinean McDonald's. The restaurants no longer prominently advertise Big Macs for sale and the sandwich, both individually and as part of value meals, is sold for an unusually low price compared to other items. Guillermo Moreno, Secretary of Commerce in the Kirchner government, reportedly forced McDonald's to sell the Big Mac at an artificially low price to manipulate the country's performance on the Big Mac index.[15][14] In June 2012 the price of the Big Mac value meal suddenly rose by 26%, closer to that of other meals, after The Economist, The New York Times, and other media reported on the unusual pricing. A Buenos Aires newspaper stated "Moreno loses the battle"

keithclancy · 03-01-2013 12:33AM

Looks a bit skewed by Alcohol, Cigarettes and Tobacco which is 63% over the EU Average.

washman3 · 03-01-2013 12:37AM

And there are people on these forums that argue vehemently that FG/LAB are doing a good job in government and absolutely lampoon anybody who dares to offer a different opinion. God help this little island..

Nanazolie · 03-01-2013 10:02AM

Average doesn't mean much... The prices in Romania are very low, but so are their salaries. Prices in Luxembourg are very high, so are their earnings.

I'm just back from France. When I left it 12 years ago, I used to pack my bags with everything from chocolate to wine to toiletries, not only because these were difficult to find here, but because the equivalent were so expensive. Now, I only bring back the few things I can't find in Ireland. Prices have gone through the roof, while they seem to have gone down a bit here, so we are more level now. Some things are still marginally cheaper, but most are the same or even dearer. And we are talking same brands.

Geuze · 03-01-2013 03:32PM

Here is the some Eurostat data on incomes and prices:

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-SF-12-047/EN/KS-SF-12-047-EN.PDF

The EU27 average is 100.

Our standard of living has dropped to 101.

But our price level has only fallen to 119.

The price level hasn't fallen enough.

Geuze · 03-01-2013 03:34PM

Anecdotal example - 6*500ml water in Lidl/Aldi

1.49 in Irl

66c in Berlin

The difference is huge.

03-01-2013 04:11PM

wii u pro controller 36 euro amazon uk or 47.99 in hmv or 50 in gamestop makes me laugh

rubadub · 03-01-2013 05:57PM

Geuze wrote: »

Anecdotal example - 6*500ml water in Lidl/Aldi

1.49 in Irl

66c in Berlin

The difference is huge.

I wonder if they get pastuerised milk as cheap there?

Is bottled water more popular there? I find it is always cheaper where there is more demand.

66c is expensive either way, bottled water should have its own separate thread about being a rip off! I find it strange that there are so many threads in the rip off forum about items which are overpriced in general. I would have expected frequenters here to be more concerned about squandering money. Good quality drinkable water is cheap in Ireland.

Deleted User wrote: »

wii u pro controller 36 euro amazon uk or 47.99 in hmv or 50 in gamestop makes me laugh

Can you link to that? I see it for £32, which after irish vat is added by amazon & conversion is €42.07 on checkout.

Not sure who you should be laughing at, amazon could be making the higher margin here, do you know wholesale prices nintendo charge in different regions?

L1011 · 03-01-2013 06:32PM

Bottled water is more popular all over Europe, as people often refuse to drink even safe tap water.

Irish Consumer Price are 18% Above EU Average

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