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For more information on this release:
E-mail: cpi@cso.ie Barra Casey (+353) 21 453 5770 Mary O'Connell (+353) 21 453 5445 Ann Ross (+353) 21 453 5427
For general information on CSO statistics:
information@cso.ie (+353) 21 453 5000 On-line ISSN 2009-5767
CSO statistical release, , 11am

Consumer Price Index

August 2014

CPI and HICP
 CPI HICP
 % monthly change % annual change % monthly change % annual change
Apr 20140.1 0.3 0.0 0.4
May 20140.0 0.4 0.0 0.4
Jun 20140.1 0.4 0.2 0.5
Jul 2014-0.2 0.3 -0.1 0.5
Aug 20140.2 0.4 0.3 0.6

Prices rise by 0.4% in the year to August

CPI/HICP - ALL ITEMS
go to full release

Prices on average, as measured by the CPI, were 0.4% higher in August compared with August 2013. 

The most notable changes in the year were increases in Education (+4.5%), Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+3.9%), Miscellaneous Goods & Services (+2.9%) and Restaurants & Hotels (+2.8%).  There were decreases in Communications (-4.6%), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (-2.6%), Clothing & Footwear (-2.0%) and Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-1.9%).

Consumer Prices in August, as measured by the CPI, increased by 0.2% in the month.  This compares to an increase of 0.1% recorded in August of last year.  The most significant monthly price changes were increases in Clothing & Footwear (+6.0%), Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (+1.4%) and Restaurants & Hotels (+0.5).  There were decreases in Transport (-0.6%), Recreation & Culture (-0.5%) and Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (-0.5%).

Contributions to the overall CPI – annual change

Table 17 shows the contribution of each 2-digit COICOP1 division to the overall change in the CPI.  A detailed breakdown of the individual components of each of the 12 COICOP divisions is presented in Tables 4 to 15.

The divisions which caused the largest upward contribution to the CPI in the year were Restaurants & Hotels (+0.43%), Miscellaneous Goods & Services (+0.34%) and Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+0.23%).

The divisions which caused the largest downward contribution to the CPI in the year were Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (-0.29%), Communications (-0.14%) and Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-0.09%).

The main factors contributing to the annual change were as follows:

  • Restaurants & Hotels increased mainly due to higher prices for alcoholic drinks, hotel accommodation and food consumed in licensed premises, restaurants, cafes, canteens etc.
  • Miscellaneous Goods & Services rose primarily due to higher health and motor insurance premiums and the increased costs associated with the local property tax2.
  • Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco increased due to higher prices for alcohol sold in off licences and supermarkets and higher tobacco prices.
  • Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages decreased due to lower prices across a range of products such as vegetables, meat, bread and cereals.
  • Communications decreased mainly due to decreases in the cost of telephone and telefax equipment and telephone and telefax services.
  • Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance fell mainly due to the reduced cost of furniture and furnishings, household textiles and glassware, tableware and household utensils.

Contributions to the overall CPI – monthly change

The divisions which caused the largest upward contribution to the CPI in the month were Clothing & Footwear (+0.23%) and Restaurants & Hotels (+0.07%).

The divisions which caused the largest downward contribution to the CPI in the month were Transport (-0.08%) and Recreation & Culture (-0.04%).

The main factors contributing to the monthly change were as follows:

  • Clothing & Footwear rose due to price recoveries after the summer sales.
  • Restaurants & Hotels increased mainly due to higher prices for hotel accommodation.
  • Transport decreased primarily due to a fall in airfares and lower petrol and diesel prices.
  • Recreation & Culture fell mainly due to lower ticket prices at cultural events, e.g. theatres.

CPI sub-indices

The annual rate of inflation for Services was 2.1% in the year to August, while Goods decreased by 1.6%.  Services, excluding mortgage interest repayments, increased by 3.1% in the year since August 2013.

The CPI excluding tobacco increased by 0.2% in the month of August and rose by 0.4% in the year.  The CPI excluding mortgage interest increased by 0.3% in the month and was up by 1.0% in the year.

Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices

Prices on average, as measured by the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), increased by 0.6% compared with August 2013.

The most notable changes in the year were increases in Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+4.8%), Education (+4.5%), Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+3.9%) and Restaurants & Hotels (+2.8%).  There were decreases in Communications (-4.5%), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (-2.6%), Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-2.0%) and Clothing & Footwear (-1.9%).

The HICP rose by 0.3% in the month.  An increase of 0.1% was recorded in August of last year. 

The most significant monthly price changes were increases in Clothing & Footwear (+6.0%) and Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (+1.5%).  There were decreases in Transport (-0.7%) and Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (-0.6%).

 

1 Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose Adapted to the Needs of Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (2000).

2 See the Background Notes for further information on how the local property tax is treated within the CPI.

Contributions to changeannual % change
Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages-2.6
Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco3.9
Clothing & Footwear-2
Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels0.3
Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance-1.9
Health-0.3
Transport-0.4
Communications-4.6
Recreation & Culture-0.9
Education4.5
Restaurants & Hotels2.8
Miscellaneous Goods & Services2.9
ALL ITEMS0.4
Table 1 Consumer Price Index (All Items)
PeriodConsumer Price Index (CPI) Percentage changes
Dec. 2011=100 Dec. 2006=100 1 month 3 months 12 months
           
2007Year98.5 102.8     4.9
2008Year102.4 107.0     4.1
2009Year97.9 102.2     -4.5
2010Year96.9 101.2     -1.0
2011Year99.4 103.8     2.6
2012Year101.1 105.6     1.7
2013Year101.6 106.1     0.5
           
2011January97.4 101.7 -0.2 -0.1 1.7
 February98.3 102.6 0.9 0.9 2.2
 March99.2 103.5 0.9 1.6 3.0
 April99.5 103.9 0.4 2.2 3.2
 May99.6 104.0 0.1 1.4 2.7
 June99.5 103.9 -0.1 0.4 2.7
 July99.5 103.9 0.0 0.0 2.7
 August99.7 104.1 0.2 0.1 2.2
 September100.0 104.4 0.3 0.5 2.6
 October100.3 104.7 0.3 0.8 2.8
 November100.3 104.7 0.0 0.6 2.9
 December100.0 104.4 -0.3 0.0 2.5
           
2012January99.5 103.9 -0.5 -0.8 2.2
 February100.4 104.8 0.9 0.1 2.1
 March101.4 105.9 1.0 1.4 2.2
 April101.4 105.9 0.0 1.9 1.9
 May101.4 105.9 0.0 1.0 1.8
 June101.2 105.7 -0.2 -0.2 1.7
 July101.1 105.6 -0.1 -0.3 1.6
 August101.7 106.2 0.6 0.3 2.0
 September101.6 106.0 -0.1 0.4 1.6
 October101.5 106.0 -0.1 0.4 1.2
 November101.1 105.5 -0.4 -0.6 0.8
 December101.2 105.6 0.1 -0.4 1.2
           
2013January100.7 105.2 -0.5 -0.8 1.2
 February101.5 105.9 0.8 0.4 1.1
 March101.9 106.4 0.4 0.7 0.5
 April101.9 106.4 0.0 1.2 0.5
 May101.8 106.3 -0.1 0.3 0.4
 June101.9 106.4 0.1 0.0 0.7
 July101.8 106.3 -0.1 -0.1 0.7
 August101.9 106.3 0.1 0.1 0.2
 September101.8 106.2 -0.1 -0.1 0.2
 October101.6 106.0 -0.2 -0.2 0.1
 November101.4 105.9 -0.2 -0.5 0.3
 December101.4 105.9 0.0 -0.4 0.2
           
2014January100.9 105.3 -0.5 -0.7 0.2
 February101.4 105.9 0.5 0.0 -0.1
 March102.1 106.6 0.7 0.7 0.2
 April102.2 106.7 0.1 1.3 0.3
 May102.2 106.7 0.0 0.8 0.4
 June102.3 106.8 0.1 0.2 0.4
 July102.1 106.6 -0.2 -0.1 0.3
 August102.3 106.8 0.2 0.1 0.4
           
           
Table 2 Consumer Price Index Subindices - August 2014
Subindices  Consumer Price Index (CPI) Percentage changes
Weights         
2014 Dec. 2011=100Dec. 2006=100 1 month 3 months 12 months
CPI excluding Tobacco97.283 102.1105.8 0.2 0.1 0.4
CPI excluding Housing88.492 103.5108.2 0.2 0.2 0.6
CPI excluding Mortgage Interest95.390 104.1108.4 0.3 0.3 1.0
CPI excluding Mortgage Interest and Local Property Tax95.203 103.8108.1 0.3 0.3 0.8
CPI excluding Energy Products89.656 101.8103.7 0.3 0.1 0.5
CPI excluding Energy and Unprocessed Food84.394 102.0104.4 0.3 0.2 0.8
           
Notes: CPI excluding Housing excludes rents, waste collection & disposal charges, mortgage interest, materials for repairs & decoration and house
           insurance.
           CPI excluding Mortgage Interest and Local Property Tax excludes the items "mortgage interest" and "miscellaneous goods & services" (part of
           COICOP 12.70) which predominantly comprises the local property tax.
           CPI excluding Energy Products excludes electricity, gas, other domestic and transport fuels.
           CPI excluding Energy and Unprocessed Food excludes electricity, gas, other domestic & transport fuels, meat, fish, fruit and vegetables.
Table 3 Consumer Price COICOP Division Indices - August 2014
COICOP Division  Consumer Price Index (CPI) Percentage changes
Weights         
2014 Dec. 2011=100Dec. 2006=100 1 month 3 months 12 months
            
01Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages11.400 99.0101.0 -0.1 -0.8 -2.6
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco5.796 112.9124.6 -0.5 0.6 3.9
03Clothing and Footwear4.323 90.064.9 6.0 -3.9 -2.0
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels15.761 98.5105.8 0.0 -0.2 0.3
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance4.691 92.080.5 1.4 -0.1 -1.9
06Health2.928 101.1117.7 -0.1 0.1 -0.3
07Transport14.028 106.4116.0 -0.6 3.0 -0.4
08Communications2.932 91.897.3 0.4 -0.1 -4.6
09Recreation and Culture7.772 98.697.3 -0.5 -0.9 -0.9
10Education2.791 109.5144.3 0.0 0.0 4.5
11Restaurants and Hotels15.723 107.1108.9 0.5 1.4 2.8
12Miscellaneous Goods and Services11.855 109.3131.0 -0.2 -1.4 2.9
 ALL ITEMS100.000 102.3106.8 0.2 0.1 0.4
 Of which:          
   Goods44.466 98.296.6 0.4 -0.6 -1.6
   Services55.534 105.7116.0 0.0 0.8 2.1
   Energy Products10.344 105.8142.1 -0.6 0.5 -0.3
   Utilities and Local Charges3.697 110.9126.2 0.0 0.0 3.1
   Alcohol9.774 111.0112.7 -0.3 0.4 3.8
   Tobacco2.717 109.5139.5 0.1 0.5 2.7
   Mortgage Interest4.610 73.579.1 -0.9 -2.5 -9.8
   Services excluding Mortgage Interest50.924 109.4120.4 0.0 1.0 3.1
            
Notes: Restaurants and Hotels (COICOP 11) includes alcoholic beverages consumed on licensed premises.
            Goods include non-service items usually purchased and transportable from a retail outlet.
            Services include electricity, gas, telecommunications, alcoholic beverages consumed on licensed premises, meals out, housing, rent, mortgage
            interest repayments, insurance, public transport, entertainment and recreation, education, household services and miscellaneous services
            including childcare, social protection, package holidays and other services.
            Utilities and Local Charges includes electricity, gas, landline telecommunications and waste collection & disposal charges.
            Alcohol constitutes part of COICOP 02 (off-licence sales) and part of COICOP 11 (alcohol consumed on licensed premises) giving a combined
            index for alcohol.
            See Background Notes for definition of COICOP divisions.
Table 4 COICOP Division 01 Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages - August 2014
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2014 Dec. 2011=100 1 month12 months
       
01.1 Food10.4031 99.0 0.1-2.5
   01.1.1 Bread & Cereals1.8944 97.0 -0.1-2.5
                   Rice0.0515 106.8 -0.21.4
                   Flours & other cereals0.0643 111.2 -0.30.2
                   Bread0.6296 97.9 -0.1-2.4
                   Other bakery products0.5890 91.7 0.2-3.2
                   Pizza & quiche0.1439 89.7 -1.8-5.0
                   Pasta products & couscous0.1013 95.1 -0.2-3.6
                   Breakfast cereals0.2694 106.0 0.6-2.0
                   Other cereal products0.0454 96.2 -2.92.9
   01.1.2 Meat2.5260 99.3 -0.8-2.5
                    Beef & veal0.4346 108.2 -1.8-1.5
                    Pork0.1520 95.2 -5.7-8.3
                    Lamb & goat0.1474 98.2 1.0-1.0
                    Poultry0.4794 96.5 0.7-2.0
                    Edible offal0.0068 103.6 0.8-2.7
                    Dried, salted or smoked meat0.9023 97.2 -0.8-2.1
                    Other meat preparations0.4035 99.7 -0.4-3.3
   01.1.3 Fish0.4064 103.4 3.61.3
                   Fresh or chilled fish 0.1577 107.4 7.22.9
                   Frozen fish0.0620 88.1 4.1-0.3
                   Fresh or chilled seafood 0.0472 97.0 0.30.8
                   Dried, smoked or salted fish & seafood0.0461 102.9 -0.42.2
                   Other preserved or processed fish & seafood-based preparations0.0934 110.8 1.6-0.4
   01.1.4 Milk, cheese & eggs1.5386 100.0 0.7-1.4
                   Fresh whole milk0.4488 99.7 -0.3-3.7
                   Fresh low fat milk0.1678 102.5 0.00.0
                   Yoghurt0.2677 98.3 1.1-0.5
                   Cheese & curd 0.3535 98.9 2.0-1.0
                   Other milk products0.1401 98.9 0.30.1
                   Eggs0.1607 104.1 0.60.2
   01.1.5 Oils & fats0.2942 103.7 1.01.2
                   Butter0.1319 103.7 0.01.8
                   Margarine & other vegetable fats0.0940 104.7 2.92.9
                   Olive oil0.0265 98.1 0.2-4.1
                   Other edible oils0.0419 104.9 0.6-1.0
   01.1.6 Fruit0.6263 93.0 -0.6-1.7
                   Fresh or chilled fruit0.5227 91.0 -1.0-2.3
                   Dried fruit & nuts0.0879 102.0 1.21.7
                   Preserved fruit & fruit-based products0.0157 112.4 -1.1-0.9
   01.1.7 Vegetables1.7037 100.3 0.1-7.6
                   Fresh or chilled vegetables other than potatoes & other tubers0.7300 99.8 -1.5-2.6
                   Frozen vegetables other than potatoes & other tubers0.0439 93.8 -0.70.2
                   Dried vegetables, other preserved or processed vegetables0.3091 98.2 -0.8-1.3
                   Potatoes0.3751 93.1 1.6-26.8
                   Crisps0.2456 112.0 4.1-0.3
   01.1.8 Sugar, jam, honey, chocolate & confectionery0.9608 100.5 0.50.4
                   Sugar0.0883 98.3 -0.6-2.3
                   Jams, marmalades & honey0.1070 102.0 2.1-0.9
                   Chocolate0.4102 107.1 0.82.5
                   Confectionery products0.1722 97.1 -1.20.3
                   Edible ices & ice cream0.1758 88.9 1.4-2.6
                   Artifical sugar substitutes0.0073 98.8 -1.1-2.5
   01.1.9 Food products n.e.c. 0.4527 99.4 -0.8-0.8
                   Sauces & condiments0.1217 98.5 -1.7-3.1
                   Salt, spices & culinary herbs0.0215 97.0 0.3-1.0
                   Baby food0.0536 108.0 -0.63.6
                   Ready-made meals0.1342 92.0 -1.2-3.2
                   Other food products n.e.c.0.1217 105.5 0.12.0
01.2 Non-alcoholic beverages0.9970 98.8 -1.4-2.9
   01.2.1 Coffee, tea & cocoa0.1956 99.2 3.10.4
                   Coffee0.0819 96.0 1.2-0.6
                   Tea0.1035 101.0 5.01.0
                   Cocoa & powdered chocolate0.0102 106.5 -0.33.0
   01.2.2 Mineral waters, soft drinks, fruit & vegetable juices0.8014 98.8 -2.5-3.5
                   Mineral or spring waters0.1140 98.3 -2.4-3.5
                   Soft drinks0.4763 97.6 -2.4-4.3
                   Fruit & vegetable juices0.2110 101.9 -2.5-1.5
       
Total 11.4001 99.0 -0.1-2.6
       
Table 5 COICOP Division 02 Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco - August 2014
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2014 Dec. 2011=100 1 month12 months
       
02.1 Alcoholic Beverages3.0784 115.9 -1.14.6
   02.1.1 Spirits0.4686 121.1 -0.75.2
   02.1.2 Wine1.5642 121.5 -2.84.9
   02.1.3 Beer1.0456 106.3 1.74.0
02.2 Tobacco2.7173 109.5 0.12.7
                   Cigarettes2.5834 109.1 0.02.6
                   Other tobacco products0.1339 115.7 0.03.6
       
Total5.7957 112.9 -0.53.9
       
Table 6 COICOP Division 03 Clothing and Footwear - August 2014
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2014 Dec. 2011=100 1 month12 months
       
03.1 Clothing3.6143 90.5 6.6-2.1
   03.1.2 Garments3.3952 90.1 6.9-2.3
   03.1.3 Other articles of clothing & clothing accessories0.1454 95.1 1.82.6
   03.1.4 Cleaning, repair & hire of clothing0.0737 101.4 -0.40.3
                   Dry cleaning & laundry0.0572 101.3 -0.40.2
                   Dress hire & repair of clothing0.0166 102.1 0.00.8
03.2 Footwear0.7086 88.6 4.0-1.1
   03.2.1 Shoes & other footwear0.7001 88.4 4.0-1.2
   03.2.2 Repair & hire of footwear0.0085 101.0 0.10.3
       
Total4.3229 90.0 6.0-2.0
       
Table 7 COICOP Division 04 Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels - August 2014
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2014 Dec. 2011=100 1 month12 months
       
04.1/04.2 Actual rentals for housing & mortgage interest9.8924 93.1 0.0-0.6
   04.1.1 Actual rentals paid by tenants (Rents)5.2829 115.9 0.87.7
                   Private Rents4.5962 117.6 0.98.7
                   Local Authority Rents0.6867 104.7 0.01.1
   04.2.1 Mortgage Interest 4.6096 73.5 -0.9-9.8
04.3 Maintenance & repair of the dwelling0.5176 99.0 0.02.1
   04.3.1 Materials for the maintenance & repair of the dwelling0.2057 101.1 0.01.2
   04.3.2 Services for the maintenance & repair of the dwelling0.3119 97.6 0.02.7
04.4 Water supply & miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling 0.6224 102.5 0.01.0
04.5 Electricity, gas & other fuels4.7289 109.0 -0.12.3
   04.5.1 Electricity2.2985 112.7 0.03.7
   04.5.2 Gas0.7092 112.4 0.02.7
                   Natural gas0.6734 113.0 0.03.0
                   Bottled gas0.0358 102.7 0.2-0.2
   04.5.3 Liquid fuels (Home Heating Oil)1.1596 97.9 -0.4-2.9
   04.5.4 Solid fuels0.5616 111.6 0.16.3
       
Total15.7614 98.5 0.00.3
       
Table 8 COICOP Division 05 Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance - August 2014
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2014 Dec. 2011=100 1 month12 months
       
05.1 Furniture & furnishings, carpets & other floor coverings1.0937 82.3 3.0-5.7
   05.1.1 Furniture & furnishings1.0895 81.9 3.0-5.8
   05.1.2 Carpets & other floor coverings0.0042 96.5 0.3-2.3
05.2 Household textiles0.3134 84.5 5.0-5.5
05.3 Household appliances0.4961 95.6 0.5-1.5
   05.3.1 Major household appliances whether electric or not0.4200 95.4 0.5-1.5
   05.3.2 Small electric household appliances0.0490 93.6 0.6-2.5
   05.3.3 Repair of household appliances0.0270 101.4 0.00.1
05.4 Glassware, tableware & household utensils0.3960 91.1 1.7-5.0
05.5 Tools & equipment for house & garden0.2188 95.1 -0.2-2.5
   05.5.1 Major tools & equipment0.1230 89.6 -0.7-3.1
   05.5.2 Small tools & miscellaneous accessories0.0958 98.4 0.4-1.6
05.6 Goods & services for routine household maintenance2.1730 97.8 0.71.0
   05.6.1 Non-durable household goods1.2576 97.9 1.3-1.0
   05.6.2 Domestic services & household services0.9154 96.6 0.03.5
       
Total4.6910 92.0 1.4-1.9
       
Table 9 COICOP Division 06 Health - August 2014
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2014 Dec. 2011=100 1 month12 months
       
06.1 Medical products, appliances & equipment1.0882 100.5 -0.2-1.0
   06.1.1 Pharmaceutical products0.8913 100.1 -0.1-1.2
                   Prescribed drugs0.2396 97.8 0.1-7.8
                   Other medicines0.6518 100.9 -0.21.4
   06.1.2 Other medical products0.0265 107.3 -0.61.9
   06.1.3 Therapeutic appliances & equipment0.1704 99.9 0.00.1
06.2 Out-patient services1.6082 100.3 0.00.2
   06.2.1/3 Medical & paramedical services1.0749 100.0 0.00.3
                   Doctors' fees0.8912 100.2 0.10.3
                   Other medical & paramedical services0.1837 99.5 0.30.6
   06.2.2 Dental services0.5333 101.0 0.00.2
06.3 Hospital services0.2316 101.0 0.00.0
       
Total2.9280 101.1 -0.1-0.3
       
Table 10 COICOP Division 07 Transport - August 2014
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2014 Dec. 2011=100 1 month12 months
       
07.1 Purchase of vehicles3.0862 94.2 -0.1-3.1
   07.1.1 Motor cars3.0137 94.3 0.0-3.0
   07.1.2 Motor cycles0.0112 103.3 0.20.6
   07.1.3 Bicycles0.0613 92.1 0.8-5.2
07.2 Operation of personal transport equipment8.6787 106.1 -0.2-1.1
   07.2.1 Spare parts & accessories for personal transport equipment0.3925 101.0 -0.11.3
   07.2.2 Fuels & lubricants for personal transport equipment5.6149 103.3 -1.1-2.3
                   Petrol3.8360 105.3 -0.9-2.3
                   Diesel1.7554 99.1 -1.0-2.2
                   Motor oil0.0235 104.1 -0.31.9
   07.2.3 Maintenance & repair of personal transport equipment0.6812 98.6 -0.11.8
   07.2.4 Other services in respect of personal transport equipment1.9902 119.2 1.90.6
                   Motor tax1.4722 121.8 0.00.0
                   Other vehicle costs0.5180 111.1 7.01.7
07.3 Transport services2.2629 126.6 -2.25.1
   07.3.1 Passenger transport by railway0.2649 112.1 0.04.9
   07.3.2 Passenger transport by road1.1478 111.1 0.02.1
                   Bus fares0.7157 118.2 0.03.4
                   Taxi fares0.4321 100.0 0.00.0
   07.3.3 Passenger transport by air0.7485 151.6 -4.83.8
   07.3.4 Passenger transport by sea & inland waterway0.0547 121.4 -3.1-0.7
   07.3.5 Combined passenger transport0.0298 121.5 0.07.6
   07.3.6 Other purchased transport services0.0171 95.9 0.0-1.6
       
Total14.0279 106.4 -0.6-0.4
       
Table 11 COICOP Division 08 Communications - August 2014
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2014 Dec. 2011=100 1 month12 months
       
08.1 Postal services0.1191 123.0 12.712.7
08.2/3.0 Telephone & telefax equipment and telephone & telefax services2.8129 90.8 0.0-5.2
       
Total2.9320 91.8 0.4-4.6
       
Table 12 COICOP Division 09 Recreation and Culture - August 2014
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2014 Dec. 2011=100 1 month12 months
       
09.1 Audio-visual, photographic & information processing equipment0.9774 79.5 1.4-6.1
   09.1.1 Equipment for the reception, recording & reproduction of sound & pictures 0.3345 77.4 -0.9-8.5
   09.1.2 Photographic & cinematographic equipment & optical instruments0.0620 68.9 0.7-9.9
   09.1.3 Information processing equipment0.1759 65.9 -1.8-13.5
   09.1.4 Recording media0.3799 93.6 4.9-0.2
   09.1.5 Repair of audio-visual, photographic & information processing equipment0.0250 96.9 -0.20.3
09.2 Other major durables for recreation & culture0.0111 91.7 0.0-3.8
09.3 Other recreational items & equipment, gardens & pets1.3395 91.6 -0.4-4.1
   09.3.1 Games, toys & hobbies0.7841 86.4 -0.6-5.9
   09.3.2 Equipment for sport, camping & open-air recreation0.0889 88.0 0.0-8.4
   09.3.3 Gardens, plants & flowers0.1431 81.7 0.1-6.2
   09.3.4/5 Pets & related products including veterinary & other services for pets0.3234 110.9 0.02.6
09.4 Recreational & cultural services2.8377 103.5 -1.5-0.2
   09.4.1 Recreational & sporting services0.7303 94.5 0.0-0.5
                   Sports admittance0.0914 96.5 0.0-2.0
                   Sports participation0.1733 93.7 0.0-0.7
                   Club & society subscriptions0.4657 94.4 0.0-0.1
   09.4.2 Cultural services2.1073 107.2 -2.1-0.1
                   Cinema0.1890 104.4 0.01.2
                   Nightclubs0.1265 95.4 -0.4-1.5
                   Cultural admittance0.3937 105.0 -10.6-8.1
                   Television services1.3140 109.7 0.02.2
                   Other entertainment0.0841 102.7 0.31.1
09.5 Newspapers, books & stationery1.3799 103.3 0.22.5
   09.5.1 Books0.3632 102.6 0.81.6
   09.5.2 Newspapers & periodicals0.8692 103.9 0.03.4
   09.5.3/4 Miscellaneous printed matter and stationery & drawing materials0.1476 99.1 -0.3-0.6
09.6 Package holidays1.2263 105.6 -0.2-0.2
       
Total7.7719 98.6 -0.5-0.9
       
Table 13 COICOP Division 10 Education - August 2014
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2014 Dec. 2011=100 1 month12 months
       
10.1 Pre-primary & primary education0.1563 100.8 0.00.6
10.2 Secondary education0.4153 105.0 0.02.4
10.4 Tertiary education1.8314 113.3 0.06.3
10.5 Education not definable by level0.3881 101.3 0.0-0.1
       
Total2.7911 109.5 0.04.5
       
Table 14 COICOP Division 11 Restaurants and Hotels - August 2014
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2014 Dec. 2011=100 1 month12 months
       
11.1 Catering services13.7439 105.3 0.12.3
   11.1.1 Restaurants, cafes & the like12.4108 105.6 0.12.4
                  Licenced premises7.0173 108.4 0.13.1
                      Spirits1.7059 108.8 0.13.5
                      Wine1.1142 107.7 0.13.3
                      Beer3.8758 108.8 0.13.1
                      Soft drinks & mineral water0.3214 104.3 0.11.5
                  Restaurants, cafes, fast food & take-away food5.3935 102.0 0.11.5
   11.1.2 Canteens1.3331 101.9 0.01.3
11.2 Accommodation services1.9795 119.2 2.85.4
       
Total15.7235 107.1 0.52.8
       
Table 15 COICOP Division 12 Miscellaneous Goods and Services - August 2014
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2014 Dec. 2011=100 1 month12 months
       
12.1 Personal care3.5232 94.7 -0.1-1.1
   12.1.1 Hairdressing salons & personal grooming establishments0.8738 96.9 -0.30.3
                     Hairdressing0.6620 96.8 -0.40.8
                     Health & beauty treatments0.1977 96.7 0.0-1.7
                     Other personal grooming0.0142 103.0 0.62.5
   12.1.2 Electric appliances for personal care0.1336 95.1 1.1-2.6
   12.1.3 Other appliances, articles & products for personal care2.5158 93.5 -0.1-1.7
                     Hygiene products0.5295 96.3 0.0-1.2
                     Hair products0.3005 96.3 -2.0-3.2
                     Cosmetics & skincare products1.0825 90.4 -0.7-1.4
                     Toilet accessories0.6033 95.3 1.7-1.9
12.3 Personal effects n.e.c.0.7759 78.1 1.4-9.0
   12.3.1 Jewellery, clocks & watches0.3085 90.7 0.8-3.8
   12.3.2 Other personal effects0.4674 68.1 1.8-12.6
12.4 Social protection0.7412 102.7 0.01.9
                     Childcare0.6024 103.0 0.02.2
                     Other social protection0.1388 101.4 0.00.5
12.5 Insurance5.4874 117.7 -0.64.3
   12.5.2 Insurance connected with the dwelling0.6724 91.4 0.3-5.2
   12.5.3 Insurance connected with health3.4739 134.0 -1.05.5
   12.5.4 Insurance connected with transport1.3410 100.7 0.25.8
                  Motor insurance1.3264 100.7 0.25.9
                     Motor cycle insurance0.0113 102.7 0.00.0
                     Motor car insurance1.3152 100.7 0.25.9
                  Travel insurance0.0146 101.6 0.04.4
12.6 Financial services n.e.c.0.3813 106.6 0.06.5
12.7 Other services n.e.c.0.9457 153.4 0.119.5
       
Total11.8547 109.3 -0.22.9
       
Table 16 Consumer Price Index Goods and Services by COICOP Division - August 2014
COICOP DivisionWeights 2014 Index       Percentage changes
    Dec. 2011=100    
          
OverallGoodsServices GoodsServices GoodsServicesOverall
       12 months12 months12 months
            
01Food and Non Alcoholic Beverages11.40011.400- 99.0- -2.6--2.6
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco5.7965.796- 112.9- 3.9-3.9
03Clothing and Footwear4.3234.2410.082 89.8101.4 -2.00.3-2.0
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels 15.7611.96313.799 102.397.9 0.30.30.3
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance4.6913.7470.944 90.397.0 -3.43.4-1.9
06Health2.9281.0881.840 100.5100.9 -1.00.2-0.3
07Transport14.0289.0944.934 100.1119.5 -2.33.2-0.4
08Communications2.9320.1122.820 68.092.9 -13.8-4.1-4.6
09Recreation and Culture7.7723.6014.170 93.2103.7 -1.9-0.2-0.9
10Education2.791-2.791 -109.5 -4.54.5
11Restaurants and Hotels15.723-15.723 -107.1 -2.82.8
12Miscellaneous Goods & Services11.8553.4258.429 89.5116.4 -3.55.42.9
            
ALL ITEMS100.00044.46655.534 98.2105.7 -1.62.10.4
            
Table 17 Contributions to the change in the All Items CPI - August 2014
COICOP DivisionPercentage changes
1 month 3 months 12 months
       
01Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages-0.01 -0.09 -0.29
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco-0.03 0.04 0.23
03Clothing and Footwear0.23 -0.16 -0.07
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels-0.01 -0.04 0.05
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance0.07 0.00 -0.09
06Health0.00 0.01 -0.01
07Transport-0.08 0.42 -0.06
08Communications0.01 0.00 -0.14
09Recreation and Culture-0.04 -0.07 -0.07
10Education0.00 0.00 0.12
11Restaurants and Hotels0.07 0.23 0.43
12Miscellaneous Goods and Services-0.03 -0.17 0.34
 All Items % change0.2 0.1 0.4 
 Goods0.21 -0.26 -0.69
 Services-0.02 0.41 1.13
 Energy Products-0.06 0.05 -0.03
 Tobacco0.00 0.01 0.08
 Mortgage Interest-0.04 -0.11 -0.47
       
Notes: For the percentage contributions, the sum of the 2-digit COICOP categories may not equal the All Items %
           change due to rounding differences.
Table 18 EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices - Ireland
Period HICP Percentage changes
 Year 2005=100 1 month 12 months
       
2007Year105.6   2.8
2008Year108.9   3.1
2009Year107.1   -1.7
2010Year105.4   -1.6
2011Year106.6   1.1
2012Year108.7   2.0
2013Year109.2   0.5
       
2011January105.2 -0.3 0.2
 February106.1 0.9 0.9
 March106.6 0.5 1.2
 April106.9 0.3 1.5
 May106.9 0.0 1.2
 June106.7 -0.2 1.1
 July106.5 -0.2 1.0
 August106.7 0.2 1.0
 September106.8 0.1 1.3
 October107.1 0.3 1.5
 November107.1 0.0 1.7
 December107.0 -0.1 1.4
       
2012January106.6 -0.4 1.3
 February107.8 1.1 1.6
 March108.9 1.0 2.2
 April108.9 0.0 1.9
 May108.9 0.0 1.9
 June108.7 -0.2 1.9
 July108.6 -0.1 2.0
 August109.5 0.8 2.6
 September109.4 -0.1 2.4
 October109.3 -0.1 2.1
 November108.8 -0.5 1.6
 December108.8 0.0 1.7
       
2013January108.2 -0.6 1.5
 February109.1 0.8 1.2
 March109.5 0.4 0.6
 April109.4 -0.1 0.5
 May109.4 0.0 0.5
 June109.5 0.1 0.7
 July109.4 -0.1 0.7
 August109.5 0.1 0.0
 September109.4 -0.1 0.0
 October109.2 -0.2 -0.1
 November109.1 -0.1 0.3
 December109.2 0.1 0.4
       
2014January108.5 -0.6 0.3
 February109.2 0.6 0.1
 March109.8 0.5 0.3
 April109.8 0.0 0.4
 May109.8 0.0 0.4
 June110.0 0.2 0.5
 July109.9 -0.1 0.5
 August110.2 0.3 0.6
       
       
Table 19 EU Harmonised Consumer Price COICOP Division Indices - August 2014 Ireland
COICOP DivisionHICP Percentage changes Percentage contributions
Year 2005=100 1 month 12 months 1 month 12 months
           
01Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages102.6 -0.1 -2.6 -0.01 -0.32
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco130.6 -0.6 3.9 -0.04 0.24
03Clothing and Footwear65.4 6.0 -1.9 0.25 -0.07
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels132.1 0.3 4.8 0.04 0.60
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance79.6 1.5 -2.0 0.07 -0.10
06Health123.4 0.0 -0.2 0.00 -0.01
07Transport116.1 -0.7 -0.3 -0.09 -0.06
08Communications96.8 0.5 -4.5 0.02 -0.15
09Recreation and Culture99.4 -0.4 -0.9 -0.04 -0.08
10Education156.2 0.0 4.5 0.00 0.13
11Restaurants and Hotels114.5 0.5 2.8 0.08 0.46
12Miscellaneous Goods and Services118.3 0.0 -0.2 0.00 -0.01
All Items HICP110.2 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.6 
 Goods98.0 0.5 -1.5 0.23 -0.75
 Services123.6 0.2 2.7 0.06 1.39
 HICP excluding Energy and Unprocessed Food106.9 0.4 1.0 0.36 0.89
           
Notes: For the percentage contributions, the sum of the 2-digit COICOP categories may not equal the All Items HICP due to rounding differences.
           HICP excluding Energy and Unprocessed Food excludes electricity, gas, other domestic & transport fuels, meat, fish, fruit and vegetables.

Background Notes

Consumer Price Index

Definition

The Consumer Price Index is designed to measure the change in the average level of prices (inclusive of all indirect taxes) paid for consumer goods and services by all private and institutional households in the country and by foreign tourists holidaying in Ireland.

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

Approximately 53,000 prices are collected for a representative basket consisting of 632 item headings in a fixed panel of retail and service outlets throughout the country during the week containing the second Tuesday of each month up to and including the third Tuesday of each month.  The dates to which the August index relates are Monday 11th to Tuesday, 19th August 2014.

Scope of the Index

  1. Population Coverage: All private and institutional households in the State and the expenditure of foreign tourists within Ireland.  It does not include the expenditure of other non private households.    Expenditure which occurs abroad by Irish residents is also excluded.  In statistical terms coverage is referred to as the domestic concept.
  2. Geographic Coverage: Covers the whole of the Republic of Ireland.  Pricing takes place in 84 locations (cities and towns) throughout the country.  These sampling points are located in Dublin city and county, the four regional cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, approx. 80% of towns with a population of 10,000 and over, approx. 70% of towns between 5,000 and 9,999 and a smaller proportion below this threshold.  The results are weighted to represent the distribution of the population and its related consumer expenditure.
  3. Item Coverage: All goods and services bought by the reference population for the purposes of consumption are included in the index.  Expenditure on capital assets and investments, gambling and certain other activities are however excluded.  There are 632 item headings and 12 division headings based on the COICOP classification.  With each rebase the coverage of goods and services is reviewed to ensure that it continues to be representative of consumer tastes and purchasing practices.

Price Collection   

Personal visits are made to retail outlets by some 80 price collectors on a monthly basis.  Approximately 50,000 price quotations are gathered in this way.  In addition, 126 special inquiries covering items such as utility charges and services are conducted by post, telephone and e-mail in conjunction with internet price collection.  Most prices are collected monthly, some quarterly and others annually.  The CSO supplies general specifications to price collectors and price collectors are free initially to select a brand and in certain cases, size.  This allows for a wide variety of different brands of the same item to be priced throughout the country.  Once selected, the same item/brand is priced on a monthly basis in order to ensure matched price quotations.  If an item disappears, substitution can occur but that price is excluded until matched prices are available for the same comparable item for two consecutive months.  The CSO wishes to put on record its appreciation of the co-operation and assistance it receives from retail outlets and other business concerns.

Classification

The classification used in the CPI is based on a version of the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose Adapted to the Needs of Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (2000) (COICOP).  This replaced the former national classification which was used up to December 2001.  The COICOP classification breaks consumer expenditure into twelve different divisions covering a comprehensive range of consumer goods and services.

Annual Update of CPI Weights

For 2014, the CPI COICOP class (4-digit) level weights were updated with a reference period of December 2013.  The weights were based primarily on the 2012 National Accounts Household Final Monetary Consumption Expenditure (HFMCE) data.  The expenditure data were price updated at CPI COICOP class level to December 2013 using the price movement of the corresponding CPI COICOP class indices.

The sample of items in the basket, retail outlets and service providers and locations remains unchanged from the December 2011 rebase.

CPI Item Weights

The CPI measures in index form the monthly changes  in the cost of purchasing  a fixed representative ‘basket’ of consumer goods and services (i.e. Laspeyres formula).  Identical items are priced in the same outlet on each occasion so that changes in the cost of this constant basket reflect only pure price changes.  The current basket of goods and services consists of 632 representative items which were selected as part of the December 2011 rebase and remain unchanged for 2014.  The representative share of each item in the basket is proportional to the average amount purchased by all households in the State and foreign tourists in Ireland based primarily on the 2009/2010 Household Budget Survey (HBS) and estimates of expenditure by foreign tourists across a range of consumer goods and services.  When the new COICOP class (4-digit) level weights were introduced with the January 2013 index, the CPI item weights were also updated.  The CPI item weights were calculated on a pro rata basis using proportions from the December 2011 rebase.  A similar approach was taken when updating the 2014 item weights.

Methodological Details

A full methodological description of the new series is available in the Consumer Price Index Introduction of Updated Series (Base: December 2011 = 100) which is published on the CSO website at:

http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/surveysandmethodologies/documents/pdfdocs/CPI_Intro_of_Updated_Series_Base_Dec2011.pdf

Rebase

The index has been rebased with effect from December 2011, the eleventh series since the foundation of the State.

The rebase of the current CPI resulted in a number of methodological changes:

  • Updating the expenditure weights;
  • A revision of the sample of goods and services;
  • An update of the sample of areas priced;
  • Calculation of the mortgage interest component.

Goods and Services

The CPI basket can be split into two constituent parts - goods and services according to the following definitions.

Goods

Goods are defined as non service items usually purchased and transportable from a retail outlet - the basket excluding services.

Services

Services include electricity, gas, telecommunications and other public utilities, alcoholic beverages consumed on licensed premises, meals out, accommodation services, public transport, medical fees, insurances, education fees, hairdressing & other personal services, childcare & social protection, entertainment & recreation services, mortgage interest & rents, package holidays and other miscellaneous services.

Utilities and Local Charges

Includes electricity, gas, landline telecommunications and waste collection & disposal charges.

Mortgage Interest and the Local Property Tax in the CPI

Mortgage interest was first included in the CPI at the November 1975 rebase. The use of mortgage interest in the CPI reflects a user-cost approach to measuring owner-occupied housing.  This approach has involved measuring changes in average mortgage interest costs over time.  The household charge was introduced to the CPI in April 2012 and subsequently became the local property tax in July 2013. The local property tax is included in the basket under the item 'miscellaneous goods and services', which is part of COICOP 12.7.0.  The inclusion of the local property tax is consistent with the user-cost approach utilised for owner-occupied housing.  In the interest of transparency, an index excluding both mortgage interest and the local property tax is provided in Table 2 of the release to allow for their impact in the CPI to be seen.

Mortgage interest and the local property tax are excluded from the HICP.   

Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices

Introduction

The European Union-Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (EU-HICP) is calculated in each Member State of the EU.  The purpose of this index is to allow the comparison of consumer price trends in the different Member States.

Comparison with CPI

The methodology now adopted for the construction of the national CPI is identical to that recommended for the HICP.  Thus the two indices only differ in respect of the coverage of certain goods and services and the treatment of insurance.  The current EU reference base period (Year 2005=100) is however retained for ease of comparison with other EU countries.

Excluded  Items

The following items, constituting approximately 8.3% of the Irish CPI expenditure weighting, are excluded from the HICP:

  • mortgage interest
  • building materials
  • motor car tax
  • motor cycle tax
  • motor car insurance (non-service)
  • contents insurance (non-service)
  • dwelling insurance
  • union subscriptions
  • local property tax (part of the item 'miscellaneous goods & services')

Annual Update of HICP Weights

For 2014, the CPI COICOP class (4-digit) level weights were updated with a reference period of December 2013.  The weights were based primarily on the 2012 HFMCE data.  The expenditure data were price updated at HICP COICOP class level to December 2013 using the price movement of the corresponding HICP COICOP class indices.

The sample of items in the basket, retail outlets and service providers and locations remains unchanged from the December 2011 rebase.

Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices (MUICP)

Euro area inflation is measured by the MUICP (‘Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices’ as defined in Council Regulation (EC) No 2494/95 of 23 October 1995) which is the official euro area aggregate.  The MUICP is calculated as a weighted average of HICPs of the 18 countries in the euro area.  Country weights are computed every year reflecting the country’s share of the household final monetary consumption expenditure in the euro area total.

Classification System

The coverage of the indices is based on the international classification system, Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose Adapted to the Needs of Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (2000) (COICOP).

COICOP

Prior to the introduction of the December 2001 based series in January 2002 the CPI used a national classification while the EU Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP) used COICOP.  To ensure greater comparability CPI and the HICP have both used the COICOP since December 2001.

The COICOP classification is based on 12 divisions:

01    Food and Non Alcoholic Beverages

Includes food and non alcoholic beverages purchased in supermarkets, small shops, speciality shops and petrol station forecourt outlets.  It excludes meals out which are covered under 11 Restaurants and Hotels.

02    Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco

Includes alcoholic beverages purchased in off licences and supermarkets but excludes alcohol consumed on or within licensed premises which is classified under 11 Restaurants and Hotels.  It also includes tobacco products.

03    Clothing and Footwear

Mens, ladies and childrens clothing and footwear, sports and leisurewear and services such as laundry and dry cleaning, shoe repair, dress hire and alteration.

04    Housing,  Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels

Covers rents, mortgage interest repayments, waste collection and disposal charges, goods and services for maintaining, decorating and repairing dwellings and domestic energy products such as electricity, gas, home heating oil and solid fuels.

05    Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance

Covers household items such as furniture, carpets and other floor coverings, household textiles and soft furnishings, household appliances and other household items such as utensils, tools, garden equipment and non-durable items for cleaning, washing and other day to day household activity.  Also included are services such as electrical repair, cleaning and gardening.

06    Health

Includes medical products, appliances and equipment, hospital charges and out patient services supplied by doctors, dentists, opticians, physiotherapists and practitioners of alternative and complimentary medicine.

07    Transport

Includes the purchase of new and second hand vehicles, spare parts, car maintenance, fuels and lubricants, public transport and services such as parking, motor association subscriptions, car wash, toll charges, driving lessons, driving test, driving licence and car hire.

08    Communications

Postal and telecommunications services.

09    Recreation and Culture

Includes items such as audio visual and photographic equipment, computers, music and DVDs, sports and recreation goods, games and toys, items connected with gardening and pets, recreational, sporting and cultural activities and events, newspapers and other reading material, package holidays and other items connected with recreation and culture.

10    Education

Includes pre-primary and primary, secondary, third level fees and other education and training such as night courses and examination fees.

11    Restaurants and Hotels

Includes meals in restaurants and hotels, fast food and takeaways, cafes and canteens; alcohol consumed on or within a licensed premises and accommodation services supplied by hotels, guesthouses and hostels.

12    Miscellaneous Goods and Services

Covers a wide range of items including hairdressing and other grooming; goods for hygiene, hair and body care; personal goods such as jewellery, handbags and wallets; childcare and other social protection services; insurance, financial services and other services including funerals, weddings, legal and professional services.  The household charge was added to this division, in the CPI, under the item 'miscellaneous goods and services' in April 2012.  The household charge subsequently became the local property tax in July 2013. The local property tax is not included in the HICP.

Calculating percentage changes in the index

The movement of the CPI, HICP and their subindices are expressed as percentage changes, rather than changes in index points, because index point changes are affected by the level of the index in relation to its base period, whereas percentage changes are not.  The example below illustrates the computation of index point and percentage changes.

 

Index point change  
Current index 106.7
Less previous index 103.7
Equals index point change 3.0
   
Percentage change  
Index point change 3.0
Divided by the previous index 103.7
Equals 0.0289
Result multiplied by 100 0.0289 x 100
Equals percentage change 2.9

 

Estimating Contributions

A contribution represents the amount of the overall percentage change in the All Items CPI which is accounted for by any given category.  It can be estimated for any category in the CPI (e.g. the twelve COICOP 2-digit divisions) and for any period of time.

Data Required:

  1. Base weight for the category for which you wish to estimate the contribution.
  2. Current index for the category in question (same base period).
  3. Previous index for the category in question (same base period).
  4. All Items CPI for the previous period in question (i.e. the start period).

Example:

To estimate the contribution of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (COICOP 01) to the overall annual percentage change in the CPI up to July 2006 you would need the following data

 

1 Base weight for COICOP 01 (base:December 2001=100) 14.092%
2 Current Index (i.e. July 2006) for COICOP 01 103.7
3 Previous Index (i.e. July 2005) for COICOP 01 102.1
4 All Items CPI for the previous period (i.e. July 2005) 111.3

                        

Steps in the calculation

Step 1 Multiply the base weight by the current index 14.092 x 103.7
  Equals (1) 1461.3404
Step 2 Multiply the base weight by the previous index 14.092 x 102.1
  Equals (2)  1438.7932
Step 3 Subtract figure (2) from figure (1) 1461.3404 - 1438.7932
  Equals (3) 22.5472
Step 4 Divide figure (3) by the All Items CPI for the previous period 22.5472 / 111.3
  Equals Contribution 0.20

                                                                                                                                              

Therefore your estimated contribution of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages to the percentage change in the CPI for the year to July 2006 is 0.20.  The actual published figure was 0.19.  The difference is due to the fact that actual published contributions are calculated using data to more decimal places.

It is more complicated to estimate contributions where more than one base period is involved, as the base weights will have changed (e.g. to estimate a contribution for the period January 2000 to January 2005 involves the November 1996=100 base and the December 2001=100 base).  For assistance in this regard please contact the CPI section.

Data Dissemination on www.cso.ie

The CSO website (www.cso.ie) now holds a range of CPI data.  Within the Consumer Prices section of the website (accessed via the ‘Prices’ link on the homepage), a range of principle statistics are held including overall annual percentage changes from 1977 to date, All Items CPI annual figures from 1996 to date and COICOP division monthly and annual figures from 2002 to date.

Further data can be accessed at www.cso.ie by clicking on ‘Databases’ and ‘Statbank CSO Main Data Dissemination Service’.  The subject area is ‘Economy’, ‘Prices’, ‘Consumer Prices’ and ‘Consumer Prices - Annual Series’ or ‘Consumer Prices - Monthly Series’.  The website is updated each month at 11am on the CPI publication day.

The Database Direct for the CPI contains monthly and annual index numbers and percentage changes for the following categories and time periods:

 

Category  Period
All Items CPI  1975 to date
12 COICOP Divisions  1975 to date

Special CPI Subindices (CPI excluding Tobacco, Energy Products, etc)

1982 to date
Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP) 1997 to date

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

In addition, the following data can also be accessed within Database Direct.

  • Monthly index numbers and annual percentage changes for the Constant Tax Price Index from January 1997 to December 2006.
  • National average prices for selected CPI goods and services from January 1997 to date.
  • All Items CPI numbers for various base periods from 1922 to date.
  • Detailed sub-indices are available from 2003 to date. 

Any queries relating to the usage of the web dissemination database for CPI data should be directed to cpi@cso.ie

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