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Extra information
For more information on this release:
E-mail: cpi@cso.ie Colin Cotter (+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

December 2017

CPI and HICP
 CPI HICP
 % monthly change % annual change % monthly change % annual change
Aug 20170.4 0.4 0.4 0.4
Sep 2017-0.6 0.2 -0.6 0.2
Oct 2017-0.1 0.6 -0.1 0.5
Nov 2017-0.2 0.5 -0.1 0.5
Dec 2017-0.1 0.4 -0.1 0.5

Prices rise by 0.4% in the year to December 2017

Figure 1: CPI/HICP - ALL ITEMS Annual Percentage Change
go to full release

Prices on average, as measured by the CPI, were 0.4% higher in December compared with December 2016.

The most notable changes in the year were increases in Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+3.6%), Restaurants & Hotels (+2.5%), Education (+1.6%) and Transport (+1.3%).  There were decreases in Clothing & Footwear (-3.9%), Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-3.7%), Recreation & Culture (-1.9%) and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (-1.5%).

Consumer Prices in December, as measured by the CPI, decreased by 0.1% in the month.  During December of last year, prices remained unchanged in the month.  The most significant monthly price changes were decreases in Clothing & Footwear (-1.8%), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (-0.7%) and Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (-0.7%).  There were increases in Transport (+0.8%) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+0.4%).

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 Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+0.52%), Restaurants & Hotels (+0.44%) and Transport (+0.18%).

The divisions which caused the largest downward contribution to the CPI in the year were Clothing & Footwear (-0.19%), Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-0.18%) and Miscellaneous Goods & Services (-0.16%).

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

  • Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels rose mainly due to higher rents and an increase in the price of electricity and home heating oil.
  • Restaurants & Hotels increased primarily due to higher prices for alcoholic drinks and food consumed in licensed premises, restaurants, cafes etc. and an increase in the cost of hotel accommodation.
  • Transport rose mainly due to higher petrol and diesel prices and an increase in air fares which was partially offset by a reduction in the price of motor cars.
  • Clothing & Footwear decreased due to sales.
  • Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance decreased primarily due to the reduced cost of furniture & furnishings, non-durable household goods and household textiles.
  • Miscellaneous Goods & Services fell mainly due to lower motor insurance premiums and a decrease in the cost of other appliances, articles & products for personal care which was partially offset by an increase in the cost of health insurance premiums.

Contributions to the overall CPI – monthly change

The divisions which caused the largest downward contribution to the CPI in the month were Clothing & Footwear (-0.09%) and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (-0.07%).  The divisions which caused the largest upward contribution in the month were Transport (+0.12%) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+0.06%). 

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

  • Clothing & Footwear decreased due to sales.
  • Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages fell due to lower prices across a range of products such as meat and sugar, jam, honey, chocolate & confectionery.
  • Transport rose mainly due to an increase in air fares and higher prices for other services in respect of personal transport equipment which was partially offset by a reduction in the price of motor cars.
  • Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels increased primarily due to higher rents.

CPI sub-indices

The sub index for Services rose by 2.1% in the year to December, while Goods decreased by 1.8%.  Services, excluding mortgage interest repayments, increased by 2.3% in the year since December 2016.

The CPI excluding tobacco decreased by 0.1% in the month of December and rose by 0.3% in the year.  The CPI excluding mortgage interest decreased by 0.1% in the month and rose by 0.5% in the year.

Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices

Prices on average, as measured by the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), increased by 0.5% compared with December 2016.

The most notable changes in the year were increases in Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+4.7%), Restaurants & Hotels (+2.6%) and Education (+1.6%).  There were decreases in Clothing & Footwear (-3.9%), Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-3.7%) and Miscellaneous Goods & Services (-2.1%).

The HICP decreased by 0.1% in the month.  This compares to a decrease of 0.1% recorded in December of last year.

The most significant monthly price changes were decreases in Clothing & Footwear (-1.9%) and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (-0.7%).  There were increases in Transport (+0.6%) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+0.4%).

Consumer Price Index Annual Review – 2017

Annual average inflation for CPI in 2017 was 0.4%

The annual average rate of inflation in 2017 was 0.4%.  This compares to a no change for 2016 and a fall of 0.3% for 2015. 

The largest year-on-year price increase was recorded in April 2017 when prices rose by 0.9%.  There were two months where the year-on-year price changes were negative with prices falling by 0.4% in June and 0.2% in July.

Largest increases recorded in Restaurants & Hotels and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels

The largest price rises were recorded for Restaurants & Hotels (+2.3%), Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+2.1%) and Transport (+2.1%).  The largest decreases were recorded for Clothing & Footwear (-4.3%), Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-4.2%) and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (-2.2%). 

During 2017, mortgage interest repayments fell on average by 1.6% compared to a drop of 6.4% in 2016.  The price of Goods decreased on average by 2.1% compared to a fall of 3.0% in 2016.  The price of Services (which includes mortgage interest) rose by 2.1% compared to a rise of 2.1% the previous year.

Education shows the largest price increase since 2013

Over the period 2013 to 2017, the largest increases were recorded for Education (+15.0%), Miscellaneous Goods & Services (+9.6%) and Restaurants & Hotels (+8.4%). The largest decreases were for Clothing & Footwear (-13.1%), Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-12.1%) and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (-7.6%).  The overall increase in the Consumer Price Index over this period was 0.3%.

Annual average inflation for HICP in 2017 was 0.2%

Prices on average, as measured by the HICP, rose by 0.2% in 2017 compared to a fall of 0.2% in 2016.  The largest year-on-year price rise was recorded in April 2017 when prices rose by 0.7%.  There were two months where the year-on-year price changes were negative while prices remained unchanged in May 2017.

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

2 See background notes for more detail.

Contributions to changeannual % change
Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages-1.5
Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco1
Clothing & Footwear-3.9
Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, etc.3.6
Furnishings, Household Equipment, etc.-3.7
Health1
Transport1.3
Communications0.1
Recreation & Culture-1.9
Education1.6
Restaurants & Hotels2.5
Miscellaneous Goods & Services-1.3
ALL ITEMS0.4
Table A Percentage Changes by COICOP Division in the Consumer Price Index and Selected Indices
  Percentage Changes
COICOP DivisionAnnual Average 
     
20142015201620172013 - 2017
01Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages-2.3-2.1-1.3-2.2-7.6
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco3.80.41.50.76.5
03Clothing and Footwear-3.3-3.7-2.5-4.3-13.1
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels0.01.5-0.42.13.3
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance-2.9-2.3-3.3-4.2-12.1
06Health-0.20.01.21.32.3
07Transport-1.5-4.8-3.22.1-7.3
08Communications-2.91.6-1.2-0.2-2.6
09Recreation and Culture-0.5-0.3-1.1-2.0-3.9
10Education4.64.73.41.715.0
11Restaurants and Hotels2.11.62.12.38.4
12Miscellaneous Goods and Services3.51.54.20.29.6
 All Items CPI0.2-0.30.00.40.3
   Goods-2.1-3.8-3.0-2.1-10.4 
   Services2.02.42.12.19.0
   Energy Products-1.5-8.1-6.13.9-11.8
   Mortgage Interest-10.4-8.5-6.4-1.6-24.4
   CPI excluding Tobacco0.1-0.4-0.20.1-0.4
   CPI excluding Housing0.3-0.7-0.30.0-0.7
   CPI excluding Mortgage Interest0.70.10.30.41.5
   CPI excluding Energy Products0.40.60.70.01.6
 All Items HICP0.30.0-0.20.20.3
Notes: See Background Notes for definition of COICOP divisions.
           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.
           Energy Products include electricity, gas, other domestic and transport fuels.
           CPI excluding Housing excludes rents, waste collection & disposal charges, mortgage interest, materials for repairs & decoration
           and house insurance.
Table 1 Consumer Price Index (All Items)
PeriodConsumer Price Index (CPI) Percentage changes
Dec. 2016=100 Dec. 2011=100 1 month 3 months 12 months
2011Year98.3 99.4     2.6
2012Year99.9 101.1     1.7
2013Year100.4 101.6     0.5
2014Year100.6 101.8     0.2
2015Year100.3 101.5     -0.3
2016Year100.3 101.5     0.0
2017Year100.7 101.9     0.4
           
2014January99.7 100.9 -0.5 -0.7 0.2
 February100.2 101.4 0.5 0.0 -0.1
 March100.9 102.1 0.7 0.7 0.2
 April101.0 102.2 0.1 1.3 0.3
 May100.9 102.2 0.0 0.8 0.4
 June101.1 102.3 0.1 0.2 0.4
 July100.9 102.1 -0.2 -0.1 0.3
 August101.1 102.3 0.2 0.1 0.4
 September100.8 102.1 -0.2 -0.2 0.3
 October100.6 101.8 -0.3 -0.3 0.2
 November100.3 101.5 -0.3 -0.8 0.1
 December99.9 101.1 -0.4 -1.0 -0.3
           
2015January99.1 100.3 -0.8 -1.5 -0.6
 February99.7 100.9 0.6 -0.6 -0.5
 March100.3 101.5 0.6 0.4 -0.6
 April100.3 101.5 0.0 1.2 -0.7
 May100.7 101.9 0.4 1.0 -0.3
 June100.9 102.2 0.3 0.7 -0.1
 July100.7 101.9 -0.3 0.4 -0.2
 August101.1 102.3 0.4 0.4 0.0
 September100.6 101.8 -0.5 -0.4 -0.3
 October100.4 101.6 -0.2 -0.3 -0.2
 November100.1 101.3 -0.3 -1.0 -0.2
 December100.0 101.2 -0.1 -0.6 0.1
           
2016January99.2 100.4 -0.8 -1.2 0.1
 February99.6 100.8 0.4 -0.5 -0.1
 March100.0 101.2 0.4 0.0 -0.3
 April100.2 101.4 0.2 1.0 -0.1
 May100.7 101.9 0.5 1.1 0.0
 June101.4 102.6 0.7 1.4 0.4
 July101.2 102.4 -0.2 1.0 0.5
 August101.0 102.2 -0.2 0.3 -0.1
 September100.6 101.8 -0.4 -0.8 0.0
 October100.1 101.3 -0.5 -1.1 -0.3
 November100.0 101.2 -0.1 -1.0 -0.1
 December100.0 101.2 0.0 -0.6 0.0
           
2017January99.5 100.7 -0.5 -0.6 0.3
 February100.1 101.3 0.6 0.1 0.5
 March100.7 101.9 0.6 0.7 0.7
 April101.1 102.3 0.4 1.6 0.9
 May100.9 102.1 -0.2 0.8 0.2
 June101.0 102.2 0.1 0.3 -0.4
 July101.0 102.2 0.0 -0.1 -0.2
 August101.4 102.7 0.4 0.5 0.4
 September100.8 102.0 -0.6 -0.2 0.2
 October100.7 101.9 -0.1 -0.3 0.6
 November100.5 101.7 -0.2 -0.9 0.5
 December100.4 101.6 -0.1 -0.4 0.4
Table 2 Consumer Price Index Subindices - December 2017
Subindices  Consumer Price Index (CPI) Percentage changes
Weights         
2017 Dec. 2016=100Dec. 2011=100 1 month 3 months 12 months
CPI excluding Tobacco97.229 100.3100.8 -0.1 -0.5 0.3
CPI excluding Housing89.109 100.0101.5 -0.2 -0.5 0.0
CPI excluding Mortgage Interest97.146 100.5104.1 -0.1 -0.3 0.5
CPI excluding Mortgage Interest and Local Property Tax96.650 100.5103.8 -0.1 -0.3 0.5
CPI excluding Energy Products92.026 100.1102.2 -0.2 -0.7 0.1
CPI excluding Energy and Unprocessed Food86.658 100.2102.7 -0.1 -0.7 0.2
Notes: CPI excluding Housing excludes rents, mortgage interest, maintenance & repair of the dwelling, refuse collection, sewage collection and
           insurance connected with the dwelling.
           CPI excluding Energy Products excludes fuels & lubricants for personal transport equipment and electricity, gas & other fuels.
           CPI excluding Energy and Unprocessed Food excludes fuels & lubricants for personal transport equipment, electricity, gas & other fuels, meat,
           vegetables, fruit and fish.
Table 3 Consumer Price COICOP Division Indices - December 2017
COICOP Division  Consumer Price Index (CPI) Percentage changes
Weights         
2017 Dec. 2016=100Dec. 2011=100 1 month 3 months 12 months
01Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages11.136 98.592.8 -0.7 -0.7 -1.5
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco5.459 101.0115.3 -0.7 -0.3 1.0
03Clothing and Footwear4.894 96.182.4 -1.8 -1.1 -3.9
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels14.378 103.6103.9 0.4 1.6 3.6
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance4.955 96.382.0 -0.5 -0.8 -3.7
06Health2.869 101.0103.7 0.0 0.0 1.0
07Transport13.998 101.396.6 0.8 0.1 1.3
08Communications3.156 100.191.5 -0.2 0.2 0.1
09Recreation and Culture7.089 98.194.1 -0.1 -1.0 -1.9
10Education2.043 101.6123.3 0.0 1.5 1.6
11Restaurants and Hotels17.479 102.5112.0 -0.1 -1.6 2.5
12Miscellaneous Goods and Services12.542 98.7114.6 -0.1 -0.8 -1.3
 ALL ITEMS100.000 100.4101.6 -0.1 -0.4 0.4
 Of which:          
   Goods43.303 98.289.1 -0.7 -0.4 -1.8
   Services56.697 102.1112.2 0.4 -0.4 2.1
   Energy Products7.974 103.796.0 0.1 3.6 3.7
   Utilities and Local Charges3.071 103.5115.3 0.3 3.5 3.5
   Alcohol9.396 100.6109.0 -0.5 -1.4 0.6
   Tobacco2.771 106.2136.4 0.2 4.6 6.2
   Mortgage Interest2.854 99.162.0 0.3 -0.8 -0.9
   Services excluding Mortgage Interest53.843 102.3118.1 0.4 -0.3 2.3
Notes: See Background Notes for definition of COICOP divisions, goods, services and utilities and local charges.
            Restaurants and Hotels (COICOP 11) includes alcoholic beverages consumed on licensed premises.
            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.
Table 4 COICOP Division 01 Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages - December 2017
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2017 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
01.1 Food10.0067 98.4 -0.5-1.6
   01.1.1 Bread & Cereals1.7744 97.7 -0.5-2.3
                   Rice0.0743 95.8 -0.4-4.2
                   Flours & other cereals0.0378 96.9 1.6-3.1
                   Bread0.5637 99.2 -0.3-0.8
                   Other bakery products0.6029 97.2 -0.1-2.8
                   Pizza & quiche0.1125 96.7 -2.7-3.3
                   Pasta products & couscous0.0868 96.0 -4.4-4.0
                   Breakfast cereals0.2000 97.2 1.9-2.8
                   Other cereal products0.0963 97.2 -4.3-2.8
   01.1.2 Meat2.5258 98.8 -0.7-1.2
                    Beef & veal0.4042 99.2 -4.1-0.8
                    Pork0.1440 103.8 0.63.8
                    Lamb & goat0.1235 94.3 -2.2-5.7
                    Poultry0.6023 98.7 -0.3-1.3
                    Edible offal0.0047 100.0 -0.10.0
                    Dried, salted or smoked meat0.4541 98.9 -0.1-1.1
                    Other meat preparations0.7932 98.3 0.2-1.7
   01.1.3 Fish0.3828 94.1 -0.9-5.9
                   Fresh or chilled fish 0.1879 91.4 -0.7-8.6
                   Frozen fish0.0238 90.6 -3.9-9.4
                   Fresh or chilled seafood 0.0213 96.4 -2.9-3.6
                   Dried, smoked or salted fish & seafood0.0361 99.7 -1.6-0.3
                   Other preserved or processed fish & seafood-based preparations0.1136 96.9 -0.4-3.1
   01.1.4 Milk, cheese & eggs1.3398 98.4 -0.2-1.6
                   Fresh whole milk0.2942 100.2 0.00.2
                   Fresh low fat milk0.1738 100.5 0.60.5
                   Yoghurt0.2769 97.7 -1.6-2.3
                   Cheese & curd 0.3010 95.1 -0.2-4.9
                   Other milk products0.1220 99.3 0.2-0.7
                   Eggs0.1718 99.4 0.3-0.6
   01.1.5 Oils & fats0.2798 106.6 1.86.6
                   Butter0.1411 113.6 1.513.6
                   Margarine & other vegetable fats0.0646 99.2 6.3-0.8
                   Olive oil0.0279 97.6 -0.6-2.4
                   Other edible oils0.0463 101.3 -1.21.3
   01.1.6 Fruit0.8570 100.2 -0.70.2
                   Fresh or chilled fruit0.7006 100.6 -0.70.6
                   Dried fruit & nuts0.1371 98.2 -1.4-1.8
                   Preserved fruit & fruit-based products0.0193 100.3 2.30.3
   01.1.7 Vegetables1.6030 98.3 -0.1-1.7
                   Fresh or chilled vegetables other than potatoes & other tubers0.6875 100.1 -0.80.1
                   Frozen vegetables other than potatoes & other tubers0.0422 95.1 -1.7-4.9
                   Dried vegetables, other preserved or processed vegetables0.3069 98.0 0.3-2.0
                   Potatoes0.3566 95.3 -0.2-4.7
                   Crisps0.1916 99.3 2.4-0.7
   01.1.8 Sugar, jam, honey, chocolate & confectionery0.8779 96.4 -1.4-3.6
                   Sugar0.0385 101.2 -0.21.2
                   Jams, marmalades & honey0.0898 95.5 -2.8-4.5
                   Chocolate0.4200 97.5 -1.4-2.5
                   Confectionery products0.1652 96.2 2.3-3.8
                   Edible ices & ice cream0.1397 92.2 -5.6-7.8
                   Artifical sugar substitutes0.0247 99.3 2.5-0.7
   01.1.9 Food products n.e.c. 0.3662 97.5 -0.9-2.5
                   Sauces & condiments0.1631 96.6 -1.0-3.4
                   Salt, spices & culinary herbs0.0342 99.8 -0.9-0.2
                   Baby food0.0243 98.5 0.0-1.5
                   Ready-made meals0.0666 99.6 -2.4-0.4
                   Other food products n.e.c.0.0779 96.4 0.6-3.6
01.2 Non-alcoholic beverages1.1297 100.1 -1.40.1
   01.2.1 Coffee, tea & cocoa0.2061 99.1 -1.8-0.9
                   Coffee0.1071 101.0 -4.31.0
                   Tea0.0901 97.6 1.7-2.4
                   Cocoa & powdered chocolate0.0089 92.7 -3.0-7.3
   01.2.2 Mineral waters, soft drinks, fruit & vegetable juices0.9236 100.4 -1.20.4
                   Mineral or spring waters0.2213 100.1 0.20.1
                   Soft drinks0.3716 102.7 -3.72.7
                   Fruit & vegetable juices0.3308 97.9 0.8-2.1
Total 11.1364 98.5 -0.7-1.5
Table 5 COICOP Division 02 Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco - December 2017
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2017 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
02.1 Alcoholic Beverages2.6881 95.6 -1.7-4.4
   02.1.1 Spirits0.3746 100.6 -3.70.6
   02.1.2 Wine1.3618 89.5 -1.6-10.5
   02.1.3 Beer0.9518 102.3 -1.12.3
02.2 Tobacco2.7714 106.2 0.26.2
                   Cigarettes2.4441 105.9 0.05.9
                   Other tobacco products0.3273 108.1 0.78.1
Total5.4595 101.0 -0.71.0
Table 6 COICOP Division 03 Clothing and Footwear - December 2017
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2017 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
03.1 Clothing3.9897 96.6 -1.8-3.4
   03.1.2 Garments3.7496 96.6 -1.8-3.4
   03.1.3 Other articles of clothing & clothing accessories0.1580 95.2 -1.7-4.8
   03.1.4 Cleaning, repair & hire of clothing0.0821 100.9 -0.10.9
                   Dry cleaning & laundry0.0738 100.9 -0.10.9
                   Dress hire & repair of clothing0.0084 101.3 0.01.3
03.2 Footwear0.9040 93.7 -2.3-6.3
   03.2.1 Shoes & other footwear0.8954 93.6 -2.4-6.4
   03.2.2 Repair & hire of footwear0.0085 101.1 0.01.1
Total4.8937 96.1 -1.8-3.9
Table 7 COICOP Division 04 Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels - December 2017
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2017 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
04.1/04.2 Actual rentals for housing & mortgage interest9.3012 103.9 0.53.9
   04.1.1 Actual rentals paid by tenants (Rents)6.4471 106.0 0.66.0
                   Private Rents5.5744 106.1 0.86.1
                   Local Authority Rents0.8727 105.5 -0.45.5
   04.2.1 Mortgage Interest 2.8541 99.1 0.3-0.9
04.3 Maintenance & repair of the dwelling0.7860 101.8 0.21.8
   04.3.1 Materials for the maintenance & repair of the dwelling0.2483 100.1 0.40.1
   04.3.2 Services for the maintenance & repair of the dwelling0.5377 102.6 0.12.6
04.4 Water supply & miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling 0.3120 101.1 0.01.1
04.5 Electricity, gas & other fuels3.9792 103.5 0.23.5
   04.5.1 Electricity2.0284 104.8 0.44.8
   04.5.2 Gas0.6397 102.0 0.22.0
                   Natural gas0.5966 101.8 0.11.8
                   Bottled gas0.0432 103.5 0.13.5
   04.5.3 Liquid fuels (Home Heating Oil)0.7385 104.3 -0.24.3
   04.5.4 Solid fuels0.5726 99.9 0.1-0.1
Total14.3783 103.6 0.43.6
Table 8 COICOP Division 05 Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance - December 2017
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2017 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
05.1 Furniture & furnishings, carpets & other floor coverings1.3219 94.2 0.5-5.8
   05.1.1 Furniture & furnishings1.3176 94.1 0.4-5.9
   05.1.2 Carpets & other floor coverings0.0043 100.6 3.20.6
05.2 Household textiles0.4059 90.7 -0.3-9.3
05.3 Household appliances0.5126 96.1 0.3-3.9
   05.3.1 Major household appliances whether electric or not0.4316 96.2 0.5-3.8
   05.3.2 Small electric household appliances0.0525 92.4 -1.2-7.6
   05.3.3 Repair of household appliances0.0284 100.4 0.00.4
05.4 Glassware, tableware & household utensils0.5613 94.8 0.2-5.2
05.5 Tools & equipment for house & garden0.2346 96.7 -0.1-3.3
   05.5.1 Major tools & equipment0.1333 96.4 0.0-3.6
   05.5.2 Small tools & miscellaneous accessories0.1013 97.2 -0.3-2.8
05.6 Goods & services for routine household maintenance1.9189 99.5 -1.5-0.5
   05.6.1 Non-durable household goods1.0546 93.7 -1.4-6.3
   05.6.2 Domestic services & household services0.8643 106.6 -1.56.6
Total4.9552 96.3 -0.5-3.7
Table 9 COICOP Division 06 Health - December 2017
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2017 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
06.1 Medical products, appliances & equipment0.9882 98.9 -0.2-1.1
   06.1.1 Pharmaceutical products0.8064 98.3 -0.2-1.7
                   Prescribed drugs0.5054 97.5 0.0-2.5
                   Other medicines0.3010 99.8 -0.5-0.2
   06.1.2 Other medical products0.0229 99.0 -0.8-1.0
   06.1.3 Therapeutic appliances & equipment0.1588 101.8 0.01.8
06.2 Out-patient services1.6668 102.3 0.02.3
   06.2.1/3 Medical & paramedical services1.1230 102.5 0.02.5
                   Doctors' fees0.9781 102.8 0.02.8
                   Other medical & paramedical services0.1449 100.6 0.00.6
   06.2.2 Dental services0.5438 101.8 0.01.8
06.3 Hospital services0.2141 100.4 0.00.4
Total2.8691 101.0 0.01.0
Table 10 COICOP Division 07 Transport - December 2017
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2017 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
07.1 Purchase of vehicles4.8007 98.0 -1.7-2.0
   07.1.1 Motor cars4.6973 98.0 -1.7-2.0
   07.1.2 Motor cycles0.0288 102.6 0.02.6
   07.1.3 Bicycles0.0746 94.7 1.0-5.3
07.2 Operation of personal transport equipment6.8216 102.9 0.82.9
   07.2.1 Spare parts & accessories for personal transport equipment0.3864 102.7 0.02.7
   07.2.2 Fuels & lubricants for personal transport equipment3.9946 103.9 0.13.9
                   Petrol2.0448 104.2 -0.14.2
                   Diesel1.9440 103.6 0.23.6
                   Motor oil0.0057 103.9 0.03.9
   07.2.3 Maintenance & repair of personal transport equipment0.7073 100.4 0.00.4
   07.2.4 Other services in respect of personal transport equipment1.7333 101.6 3.11.6
                   Motor tax0.7370 100.0 0.00.0
                   Other vehicle costs0.9964 102.8 5.52.8
07.3 Transport services2.3755 103.4 6.13.4
   07.3.1 Passenger transport by railway0.2087 101.9 1.61.9
   07.3.2 Passenger transport by road0.7705 100.9 0.80.9
                   Bus fares0.5471 101.3 1.21.3
                   Taxi fares0.2234 100.0 0.00.0
   07.3.3 Passenger transport by air1.2887 105.3 10.55.3
   07.3.4 Passenger transport by sea & inland waterway0.0575 101.0 3.91.0
   07.3.5 Combined passenger transport0.0220 101.0 0.51.0
   07.3.6 Other purchased transport services0.0281 101.1 0.01.1
Total13.9978 101.3 0.81.3
Table 11 COICOP Division 08 Communications - December 2017
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2017 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
08.1 Postal services0.1479 121.0 0.021.0
08.2/3.0 Telephone & telefax equipment and telephone & telefax services3.0083 99.1 -0.2-0.9
Total3.1562 100.1 -0.20.1
Table 12 COICOP Division 09 Recreation and Culture - December 2017
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2017 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
09.1 Audio-visual, photographic & information processing equipment0.6076 88.5 -1.6-11.5
   09.1.1 Equipment for the reception, recording & reproduction of sound & pictures 0.2344 85.9 -3.2-14.1
   09.1.2 Photographic & cinematographic equipment & optical instruments0.0562 94.4 -1.3-5.6
   09.1.3 Information processing equipment0.0880 74.6 -1.1-25.4
   09.1.4 Recording media0.2047 94.3 -0.5-5.7
   09.1.5 Repair of audio-visual, photographic & information processing equipment0.0244 100.6 0.00.6
09.2 Other major durables for recreation & culture0.0114 98.5 0.0-1.5
09.3 Other recreational items & equipment, gardens & pets1.2277 94.1 -0.7-5.9
   09.3.1 Games, toys & hobbies0.7491 92.6 -1.2-7.4
   09.3.2 Equipment for sport, camping & open-air recreation0.0884 90.6 0.0-9.4
   09.3.3 Gardens, plants & flowers0.1432 95.9 -0.1-4.1
   09.3.4/5 Pets & related products including veterinary & other services for pets0.2470 98.7 -0.1-1.3
09.4 Recreational & cultural services2.7211 99.3 0.0-0.7
   09.4.1 Recreational & sporting services0.7767 103.3 0.03.3
                   Sports admittance0.0510 105.5 0.05.5
                   Sports participation0.4050 100.6 0.00.6
                   Club & society subscriptions0.3127 106.4 0.06.4
   09.4.2 Cultural services1.9444 97.7 -0.1-2.3
                   Cinema0.1969 102.6 -0.52.6
                   Nightclubs0.0835 100.1 0.00.1
                   Cultural admittance0.3136 89.7 0.0-10.3
                   Television services1.2811 98.6 0.1-1.4
                   Other entertainment0.0694 102.1 -0.22.1
09.5 Newspapers, books & stationery1.3576 101.1 0.81.1
   09.5.1 Books0.3746 100.9 1.90.9
   09.5.2 Newspapers & periodicals0.8101 101.7 0.31.7
   09.5.3/4 Miscellaneous printed matter and stationery & drawing materials0.1729 98.4 0.2-1.6
09.6 Package holidays1.1633 101.0 -0.21.0
Total7.0887 98.1 -0.1-1.9
Table 13 COICOP Division 10 Education - December 2017
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2017 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
10.1 Pre-primary & primary education0.1339 100.3 0.00.3
10.2 Secondary education0.2893 101.7 0.01.7
10.4 Tertiary education1.4369 101.7 0.01.7
10.5 Education not definable by level0.1830 101.1 0.01.1
Total2.0431 101.6 0.01.6
Table 14 COICOP Division 11 Restaurants and Hotels - December 2017
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2017 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
11.1 Catering services15.2074 102.0 0.12.0
   11.1.1 Restaurants, cafes & the like14.4494 102.1 0.22.1
                  Licenced premises7.5765 102.7 0.12.7
                      Spirits0.4859 103.0 0.23.0
                      Wine1.8567 102.1 0.12.1
                      Beer4.3655 102.9 0.12.9
                      Soft drinks & mineral water0.8684 102.7 0.12.7
                  Restaurants, cafes, fast food & take-away food6.8728 101.4 0.21.4
   11.1.2 Canteens0.7580 100.8 0.00.8
11.2 Accommodation services2.2721 106.1 -1.16.1
Total17.4795 102.5 -0.12.5
Table 15 COICOP Division 12 Miscellaneous Goods and Services - December 2017
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2017 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
12.1 Personal care2.9543 97.0 -0.1-3.0
   12.1.1 Hairdressing salons & personal grooming establishments0.8593 100.9 0.20.9
                     Hairdressing0.6437 101.3 0.21.3
                     Health & beauty treatments0.2157 99.4 0.0-0.6
   12.1.2 Electric appliances for personal care0.1093 96.1 -0.6-3.9
   12.1.3 Other appliances, articles & products for personal care1.9857 95.4 -0.2-4.6
                     Hygiene products0.5028 94.5 -5.2-5.5
                     Hair products0.2413 96.4 4.3-3.6
                     Cosmetics & skincare products0.7732 95.6 1.0-4.4
                     Toilet accessories0.4684 95.4 1.1-4.6
12.3 Personal effects n.e.c.0.8029 90.8 -1.0-9.2
   12.3.1 Jewellery, clocks & watches0.3157 96.9 0.0-3.1
   12.3.2 Other personal effects0.4872 86.9 -1.7-13.1
12.4 Social protection0.9226 102.0 0.02.0
                     Childcare0.8111 102.0 0.02.0
                     Other social protection0.1114 101.9 0.01.9
12.5 Insurance6.1105 99.4 -0.1-0.6
   12.5.2 Insurance connected with the dwelling0.6445 102.3 0.02.3
   12.5.3 Insurance connected with health3.6568 103.8 -0.13.8
   12.5.4 Insurance connected with transport1.8092 89.5 0.0-10.5
                  Motor insurance1.7568 89.1 0.0-10.9
                     Motor cycle insurance0.0116 102.0 0.02.0
                     Motor car insurance1.7452 89.1 0.0-10.9
                  Travel insurance0.0524 103.0 0.03.0
12.6 Financial services n.e.c.0.3984 99.5 0.0-0.5
12.7 Other services n.e.c.1.3536 101.6 0.01.6
Total12.5424 98.7 -0.1-1.3
Table 16 Consumer Price Index Goods and Services by COICOP Division - December 2017
COICOP DivisionWeights 2017 Index       Percentage changes
    Dec. 2016=100    
          
OverallGoodsServices GoodsServices GoodsServicesOverall
       12 months12 months12 months
01Food and Non Alcoholic Beverages11.13611.136- 98.5- -1.5--1.5
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco5.4595.459- 101.0- 1.0-1.0
03Clothing and Footwear4.8944.8030.091 96.0101.0 -4.01.0-3.9
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels 14.3781.60312.776 102.0103.8 2.03.83.6
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance4.9554.0460.909 94.1106.3 -5.96.3-3.7
06Health2.8690.9881.881 98.9102.1 -1.12.11.0
07Transport13.9989.1824.816 100.7102.3 0.72.31.3
08Communications3.1560.1093.048 81.4100.8 -18.60.80.1
09Recreation and Culture7.0893.0794.010 95.899.9 -4.2-0.1-1.9
10Education2.043-2.043 -101.6 -1.61.6
11Restaurants and Hotels17.479-17.479 -102.5 -2.52.5
12Miscellaneous Goods & Services12.5422.8989.645 94.2100.1 -5.80.1-1.3
ALL ITEMS100.00043.30356.697 98.2102.1 -1.82.10.4
Table 17 Contributions to the change in the All Items CPI - December 2017
COICOP DivisionPercentage contributions
1 month 3 months 12 months
01Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages-0.07 -0.07 -0.16
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco-0.04 -0.02 0.05
03Clothing and Footwear-0.09 -0.05 -0.19
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels0.06 0.23 0.52
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance-0.02 -0.04 -0.18
06Health0.00 0.00 0.03
07Transport0.12 0.01 0.18
08Communications-0.01 0.01 0.00
09Recreation and Culture-0.01 -0.07 -0.14
10Education0.00 0.03 0.03
11Restaurants and Hotels-0.01 -0.28 0.44
12Miscellaneous Goods and Services-0.01 -0.09 -0.16
 All Items % change-0.1 -0.4 0.4 
 Goods-0.31 -0.15 -0.77
 Services0.22 -0.20 1.20
 Energy Products0.01 0.28 0.30
 Tobacco0.00 0.13 0.17
 Mortgage Interest0.01 -0.02 -0.03
Notes: For the percentage contributions, the sum of the 2-digit COICOP divisions may not equal the All Items %
           change due to rounding differences.
Table 18 EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) - Ireland
Period HICP 2015=100 Percentage changes
 Monthly indexMoving 12-month average index 1 month12 monthsMoving 12-month average
2014January99.199.8 -0.60.30.4
 February99.799.8 0.60.10.3
 March100.299.8 0.50.20.3
 April100.299.8 0.00.30.3
 May100.299.8 0.00.40.3
 June100.499.9 0.20.50.3
 July100.399.9 -0.10.40.2
 August100.6100.0 0.30.60.3
 September100.4100.0 -0.20.50.3
 October100.1100.0 -0.30.40.4
 November99.8100.1 -0.30.20.4
 December99.4100.0 -0.4-0.30.3
        
2015January98.7100.0 -0.7-0.40.2
 February99.3100.0 0.6-0.40.2
 March100.0100.0 0.7-0.20.2
 April99.999.9 -0.1-0.30.1
 May100.499.9 0.50.20.1
 June100.8100.0 0.40.40.1
 July100.5100.0 -0.30.20.1
 August100.8100.0 0.30.20.0
 September100.3100.0 -0.5-0.10.0
 October100.0100.0 -0.3-0.10.0
 November99.7100.0 -0.3-0.1-0.1
 December99.6100.0 -0.10.20.0
        
2016January98.7100.0 -0.90.00.0
 February99.1100.0 0.4-0.20.0
 March99.499.9 0.3-0.60.0
 April99.799.9 0.3-0.20.0
 May100.299.9 0.5-0.20.0
 June100.999.9 0.70.1-0.1
 July100.699.9 -0.30.1-0.1
 August100.499.9 -0.2-0.4-0.1
 September100.099.9 -0.4-0.3-0.1
 October99.699.8 -0.4-0.4-0.2
 November99.599.8 -0.1-0.2-0.2
 December99.499.8 -0.1-0.2-0.2
        
2017January98.999.8 -0.50.2-0.2
 February99.499.8 0.50.3-0.2
 March100.099.9 0.60.6-0.1
 April100.499.9 0.40.70.0
 May100.299.9 -0.20.00.0
 June100.399.9 0.1-0.60.0
 July100.499.9 0.1-0.20.0
 August100.899.9 0.40.40.0
 September100.299.9 -0.60.20.1
 October100.1100.0 -0.10.50.1
 November100.0100.0 -0.10.50.2
 December99.9100.1 -0.10.50.3
Table 19 EU Harmonised Consumer Price COICOP Division Indices - December 2017 Ireland
COICOP DivisionHICP Percentage changes Percentage contributions
Year 2015=100 1 month 12 months 1 month 12 months
01Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages95.6 -0.7 -1.5 -0.07 -0.17
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco101.8 -0.7 1.0 -0.04 0.06
03Clothing and Footwear93.8 -1.9 -3.9 -0.10 -0.21
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels107.5 0.4 4.7 0.05 0.59
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance91.5 -0.4 -3.7 -0.02 -0.19
06Health101.6 0.0 0.7 0.00 0.04
07Transport97.6 0.6 1.2 0.10 0.18
08Communications97.8 -0.2 0.1 -0.01 0.00
09Recreation and Culture95.6 -0.2 -1.9 -0.01 -0.14
10Education106.3 0.0 1.6 0.00 0.03
11Restaurants and Hotels104.4 0.0 2.6 -0.01 0.47
12Miscellaneous Goods and Services97.1 -0.2 -2.1 -0.01 -0.16
All Items HICP99.9 -0.1 0.5 -0.1 0.5 
Notes: For the percentage contributions, the sum of the 2-digit COICOP divisions may not equal the All Items HICP due to rounding differences.

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 51,000 prices are collected for a representative basket consisting of 615 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.

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 615 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 48,000 price quotations are gathered in this way.  In addition, 137 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

Since 2012 the weights of the items in the basket have been updated annually at CPI COICOP class (4-digit) level using information on consumer expenditure from National Accounts Household Final Monetary Consumption Expenditure (HFMCE). Additionally at the 2016 rebase, a more granular level update of the weights (5-digit) was possible using information from the latest Household Budget Survey (HBS) which was carried out between February 2015 and February 2016.

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 615 representative items which were predominantly selected as part of the December 2016 rebase.  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 2015/2016 Household Budget Survey (HBS) and estimates of expenditure by foreign tourists across a range of consumer goods and services.  

Methodological Details

A full methodological description of the new series is available in the CPI - Introduction of Updated Series (Base December 2016=100) (PDF 1,524KB) which is published on the CSO website. 

Rebase

The index has been rebased with effect from December 2016.

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;
  • Improved methods of price collection

Goods and Services

Goods

Goods are defined as non service items usually purchased and transportable from a retail outlet.

Services

Services include the following: rents, mortgage interest, services for the maintenance & repair of the dwelling, water supply & miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling, electricity, gas, repair of household appliances, tool hire, domestic services & household services, out-patient services, hospital services, maintenance/repair and other services in respect of personal transport equipment, transport services, postal services, telephone services, repair of audio-visual, photographic & information processing equipment, veterinary & other services for pets, recreational & cultural services, package holidays, education, catering services, accommodation services, hairdressing salons & personal grooming establishments, social protection, insurance, financial services n.e.c. and other services n.e.c.

Utilities and Local Charges

Includes electricity, natural gas, refuse collection, sewage collection, water supply and telephone services – landline.

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.   

Water supply and sewage collection charges

Water supply and sewage collection charges were introduced in Ireland on 1 January 2015.  The coverage of the CPI/HICP is defined as those goods and services purchased by households for the purposes of consumption.  This definition required the incorporation of the new charges into the CPI/HICP.  Water supply and sewage collection charges are a component of group 04.4 Water supply & miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling of the COICOP consumption classification.  Water supply and sewage collection charges were suspended for a period of nine months from 1st July 2016. 

For a full discussion on the rationale and methodology for introducing water supply and sewage collection charges into the CPI/HICP, see the relevant CPI Technical Paper Introduction of Water Supply and Sewage Collection (PDF 593KB) .

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 6.2% 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 

Annual Update of HICP Weights

For 2017, the CPI COICOP class (4-digit) level weights were updated with a reference period of December 2016 using information on consumer expenditure from HFMCE.  The expenditure data were price updated at HICP COICOP class level to December 2016 using the price movement of the corresponding HICP COICOP class indices. Additionally at the 2016 CPI rebase, a more granular level update of the weights (5-digit) was possible using information from the latest 2015/2016 HBS. The expenditure data were price updated at HICP COICOP class level using the price movement of the corresponding HICP COICOP class indices.

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

Men's, ladies and children's 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, refuse collection, goods and services for maintaining, decorating and repairing dwellings and domestic energy products such as electricity, gas, home heating oil and solid fuels.  Water supply and sewage collection were added to this division under the item 'water supply and miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling' in January 2015.

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 outpatient services supplied by doctors, dentists, opticians, physiotherapists and practitioners of alternative and complementary 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 licensed premises and accommodation services supplied by hotels, guesthouses and hostels.

12    Miscellaneous Goods and Services

Covers a wide range of items including hairdressing; 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.

  • 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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