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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

August 2018

CPI and HICP
 CPI HICP
 % monthly change % annual change % monthly change % annual change
Apr 2018-0.2 -0.4 -0.2 -0.1
May 20180.6 0.4 0.6 0.7
Jun 20180.1 0.4 0.1 0.7
Jul 20180.4 0.8 0.4 1.0
Aug 20180.3 0.7 0.3 0.9

Prices rise by 0.7% in the year to August 2018

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

Prices on average, as measured by the CPI, were 0.7% higher in August compared with August 2017.

The most notable changes in the year were increases in Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+6.4%), Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+2.9%), Restaurants & Hotels (+2.1%) and Education (+1.5%).  There were decreases in Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-4.1%), Miscellaneous Goods & Services (-3.1%), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (-2.6%) and Communications (-2.3%).

Consumer Prices in August, as measured by the CPI, increased by 0.3% in the month.  During August of last year, prices rose by 0.4% in the month.  The most significant monthly price changes were increases in Clothing & Footwear (+5.4%) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+1.3%).  There were decreases in Transport (-1.0%) and Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (-0.8%).

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 (+0.88%), Restaurants & Hotels (+0.42%) and Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+0.15%).

The divisions which caused the largest downward contribution to the CPI in the year were Miscellaneous Goods & Services (-0.36%), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (-0.28%) and Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-0.19%).

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 home heating oil, electricity and gas.
  • 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.
  • Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco rose mainly due to higher prices for tobacco products.
  • Miscellaneous Goods & Services decreased primarily due to lower health and motor insurance premiums and lower prices for appliances, articles & products for personal care.
  • Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages fell due to lower prices across a range of products such as vegetables, bread & cereals, meat and jam, honey, chocolate & confectionery.
  • Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance decreased mainly due to the reduced cost of non-durable household goods, furniture & furnishings, glassware, tableware & household utensils and household textiles.

Contributions to the overall CPI – monthly change

The divisions which caused the largest upward contribution to the CPI in the month were Clothing & Footwear (+0.22%) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+0.19%).  The divisions which caused the largest downward contribution in the month were Transport (-0.16%) and Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (-0.04%).

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

  • Clothing & Footwear increased due to a recovery from sales.
  • Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels rose mainly due to higher rents and an increase in the price of electricity and gas.
  • Transport decreased primarily due to a reduction in air fares which was partially offset by an increase in the cost of hiring personal transport equipment.
  • Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco fell mainly due to lower prices for wine sold in supermarkets and off licences.

CPI sub-indices

The sub index for Services rose by 1.1% in the year to August, while Goods decreased by 0.1%.  Services, excluding mortgage interest repayments, increased by 1.2% in the year since August 2017.

The CPI excluding tobacco increased by 0.3% in the month of August and rose by 0.5% in the year.  The CPI excluding mortgage interest increased by 0.3% in the month and rose by 0.6% in the year.

Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices

Prices on average, as measured by the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), increased by 0.9% compared with August 2017.

The most notable changes in the year were increases in Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+8.3%), Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+2.8%), Restaurants & Hotels (+2.1%) and Education (+1.5%).  There were decreases in Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-4.1%), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (-2.6%), Communications (-2.4%) and Miscellaneous Goods & Services (-2.2%).

The HICP increased by 0.3% in the month.  This compares to an increase of 0.4% recorded in August of last year.

The most significant monthly price changes were increases in Clothing & Footwear (+5.4%) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+1.7%).  There were decreases in Transport (-1.2%) and Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (-0.9%).   

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-2.6
Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco2.9
Clothing & Footwear-0.8
Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, etc.6.4
Furnishings, Household Equipment, etc.-4.1
Health0.2
Transport0.8
Communications-2.3
Recreation & Culture-1.1
Education1.5
Restaurants & Hotels2.1
Miscellaneous Goods & Services-3.1
ALL ITEMS0.7
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
           
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
           
2018January99.7 100.9 -0.7 -1.0 0.2
 February100.6 101.8 0.9 0.1 0.5
 March100.9 102.1 0.3 0.5 0.2
 April100.7 101.9 -0.2 1.0 -0.4
 May101.3 102.5 0.6 0.7 0.4
 June101.4 102.6 0.1 0.5 0.4
 July101.8 103.0 0.4 1.1 0.8
 August102.1 103.3 0.3 0.8 0.7
Table 2 Consumer Price Index Subindices - August 2018
Subindices  Consumer Price Index (CPI) Percentage changes
Weights         
2018 Dec. 2016=100Dec. 2011=100 1 month 3 months 12 months
CPI excluding Tobacco97.501 101.9102.4 0.3 0.8 0.5
CPI excluding Housing89.593 101.5103.0 0.2 0.7 0.2
CPI excluding Mortgage Interest97.361 102.1105.8 0.3 0.7 0.6
CPI excluding Mortgage Interest and Local Property Tax96.884 102.1105.5 0.3 0.7 0.6
CPI excluding Energy Products92.027 101.3103.4 0.2 0.4 -0.4
CPI excluding Energy and Unprocessed Food86.897 101.6104.1 0.2 0.5 -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 - August 2018
COICOP Division  Consumer Price Index (CPI) Percentage changes
Weights         
2018 Dec. 2016=100Dec. 2011=100 1 month 3 months 12 months
01Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages10.347 97.491.7 -0.1 -0.3 -2.6
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco5.102 104.0118.7 -0.8 -0.1 2.9
03Clothing and Footwear4.392 93.480.1 5.4 -3.0 -0.8
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels13.777 107.9108.2 1.3 2.0 6.4
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance4.784 93.579.6 0.5 -1.2 -4.1
06Health3.222 101.3104.1 -0.1 0.0 0.2
07Transport14.808 106.0101.1 -1.0 2.7 0.8
08Communications3.037 99.891.2 -0.3 -0.7 -2.3
09Recreation and Culture8.019 98.294.2 -0.4 -0.7 -1.1
10Education2.440 101.6123.4 0.0 0.0 1.5
11Restaurants and Hotels18.809 107.2117.1 0.8 2.4 2.1
12Miscellaneous Goods and Services11.261 96.5112.0 -0.1 -0.9 -3.1
 ALL ITEMS100.000 102.1103.3 0.3 0.8 0.7
 Of which:          
   Goods40.961 98.289.1 0.3 -0.4 -0.1
   Services59.039 104.9115.3 0.3 1.5 1.1
   Energy Products7.973 111.2102.9 1.4 4.2 12.7
   Utilities and Local Charges2.941 110.5123.1 4.4 5.4 10.5
   Alcohol9.617 103.4112.1 0.2 1.1 1.6
   Tobacco2.499 108.0138.7 0.1 0.4 6.3
   Mortgage Interest2.639 99.762.4 0.4 0.6 -0.4
   Services excluding Mortgage Interest56.400 105.2121.5 0.3 1.5 1.2
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 - August 2018
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2018 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
01.1 Food9.2876 97.1 -0.1-2.8
   01.1.1 Bread & Cereals1.6122 95.2 -1.3-3.5
                   Rice0.0676 94.1 -0.5-3.6
                   Flours & other cereals0.0343 101.7 -0.2-1.8
                   Bread0.5122 97.5 -0.3-2.1
                   Other bakery products0.5478 95.4 -0.2-2.2
                   Pizza & quiche0.1022 88.8 -10.0-13.7
                   Pasta products & couscous0.0788 89.5 -7.2-7.6
                   Breakfast cereals0.1818 92.7 -2.2-4.7
                   Other cereal products0.0875 96.7 1.8-3.2
   01.1.2 Meat2.3527 97.3 0.7-2.3
                    Beef & veal0.3764 99.7 4.1-1.5
                    Pork0.1341 100.2 -5.8-1.2
                    Lamb & goat0.1150 89.5 -0.3-6.4
                    Poultry0.5611 96.1 0.7-2.9
                    Edible offal0.0043 100.1 0.10.4
                    Dried, salted or smoked meat0.4230 97.8 0.3-2.2
                    Other meat preparations0.7388 97.4 0.7-1.9
   01.1.3 Fish0.3842 92.4 -0.4-2.1
                   Fresh or chilled fish 0.1886 86.0 -2.6-3.7
                   Frozen fish0.0239 91.6 0.0-2.3
                   Fresh or chilled seafood 0.0214 99.4 0.7-1.8
                   Dried, smoked or salted fish & seafood0.0362 106.4 1.13.3
                   Other preserved or processed fish & seafood-based preparations0.1141 97.7 2.1-1.3
   01.1.4 Milk, cheese & eggs1.2469 98.9 0.4-0.7
                   Fresh whole milk0.2738 100.1 0.00.0
                   Fresh low fat milk0.1618 100.1 0.1-0.5
                   Yoghurt0.2577 101.9 1.42.5
                   Cheese & curd 0.2802 95.1 0.4-4.7
                   Other milk products0.1135 98.4 -0.30.4
                   Eggs0.1599 97.6 -0.2-1.5
   01.1.5 Oils & fats0.1961 104.7 -1.4-1.1
                   Butter0.0989 113.5 -1.91.6
                   Margarine & other vegetable fats0.0452 97.1 0.3-1.6
                   Olive oil0.0195 93.8 -1.5-6.0
                   Other edible oils0.0324 95.8 -2.0-6.2
   01.1.6 Fruit0.8611 99.1 -0.3-1.3
                   Fresh or chilled fruit0.7039 99.3 -0.6-0.8
                   Dried fruit & nuts0.1377 98.2 1.7-4.4
                   Preserved fruit & fruit-based products0.0194 100.5 -0.35.3
   01.1.7 Vegetables1.5317 96.0 0.2-4.5
                   Fresh or chilled vegetables other than potatoes & other tubers0.6569 98.3 -0.6-3.0
                   Frozen vegetables other than potatoes & other tubers0.0404 90.3 0.6-9.2
                   Dried vegetables, other preserved or processed vegetables0.2933 92.4 -1.2-6.6
                   Potatoes0.3408 95.2 1.5-4.9
                   Crisps0.1831 97.3 3.6-4.2
   01.1.8 Sugar, jam, honey, chocolate & confectionery0.7725 97.5 -0.7-5.0
                   Sugar0.0339 101.4 0.00.4
                   Jams, marmalades & honey0.0790 92.9 -0.9-6.4
                   Chocolate0.3696 102.6 -0.7-4.1
                   Confectionery products0.1454 92.9 0.1-3.5
                   Edible ices & ice cream0.1229 89.7 -2.0-10.5
                   Artifical sugar substitutes0.0218 97.7 -1.4-1.0
   01.1.9 Food products n.e.c. 0.3301 96.1 -1.2-2.6
                   Sauces & condiments0.1470 95.7 -1.4-1.7
                   Salt, spices & culinary herbs0.0309 100.8 -0.4-0.3
                   Baby food0.0219 97.6 -0.2-1.2
                   Ready-made meals0.0601 95.8 -3.3-3.5
                   Other food products n.e.c.0.0703 94.6 0.0-5.2
01.2 Non-alcoholic beverages1.0598 100.0 -0.4-0.8
   01.2.1 Coffee, tea & cocoa0.2335 95.5 -0.6-5.1
                   Coffee0.1213 99.1 1.4-5.8
                   Tea0.1020 91.4 -3.8-4.2
                   Cocoa & powdered chocolate0.0101 93.9 7.4-4.7
   01.2.2 Mineral waters, soft drinks, fruit & vegetable juices0.8263 101.2 -0.30.3
                   Mineral or spring waters0.1980 103.2 -0.13.4
                   Soft drinks0.3324 104.9 -0.10.8
                   Fruit & vegetable juices0.2959 95.8 -0.8-2.2
Total 10.3474 97.4 -0.1-2.6
Table 5 COICOP Division 02 Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco - August 2018
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2018 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
02.1 Alcoholic Beverages2.6031 99.6 -1.7-0.9
   02.1.1 Spirits0.4400 113.0 0.00.4
   02.1.2 Wine1.2969 92.5 -3.0-2.3
   02.1.3 Beer0.8662 103.8 -0.2-0.4
02.2 Tobacco2.4994 108.0 0.16.3
                   Cigarettes2.2042 107.7 0.16.1
                   Other tobacco products0.2952 110.2 0.17.8
Total5.1024 104.0 -0.82.9
Table 6 COICOP Division 03 Clothing and Footwear - August 2018
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2018 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
03.1 Clothing3.6471 94.2 5.6-0.2
   03.1.2 Garments3.3583 93.9 6.0-0.3
   03.1.3 Other articles of clothing & clothing accessories0.2029 96.0 3.80.2
   03.1.4 Cleaning, repair & hire of clothing0.0858 101.8 0.11.2
                   Dry cleaning & laundry0.0770 101.9 0.11.2
                   Dress hire & repair of clothing0.0087 101.1 0.00.6
03.2 Footwear0.7453 89.5 4.1-4.4
   03.2.1 Shoes & other footwear0.7410 89.4 4.1-4.4
   03.2.2 Repair & hire of footwear0.0043 101.5 0.01.0
Total4.3924 93.4 5.4-0.8
Table 7 COICOP Division 04 Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels - August 2018
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2018 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
04.1/04.2 Actual rentals for housing & mortgage interest8.8124 107.0 0.84.2
   04.1.1 Actual rentals paid by tenants (Rents)6.1730 110.3 0.96.3
                   Private Rents5.3374 110.6 1.06.2
                   Local Authority Rents0.8356 108.5 0.06.3
   04.2.1 Mortgage Interest 2.6395 99.7 0.4-0.4
04.3 Maintenance & repair of the dwelling0.9077 103.9 0.03.2
   04.3.1 Materials for the maintenance & repair of the dwelling0.3665 103.0 0.03.7
   04.3.2 Services for the maintenance & repair of the dwelling0.5412 104.2 0.02.8
04.4 Water supply & miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling 0.3048 101.1 -0.50.8
04.5 Electricity, gas & other fuels3.7523 111.4 3.113.0
   04.5.1 Electricity1.9520 113.2 5.013.2
   04.5.2 Gas0.6154 109.0 5.28.9
                   Natural gas0.5739 109.4 5.69.5
                   Bottled gas0.0415 103.3 0.00.6
   04.5.3 Liquid fuels (Home Heating Oil)0.7408 116.6 -0.925.9
   04.5.4 Solid fuels0.4441 100.0 -0.10.1
Total13.7772 107.9 1.36.4
Table 8 COICOP Division 05 Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance - August 2018
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2018 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
05.1 Furniture & furnishings, carpets & other floor coverings1.2337 90.4 0.9-4.0
   05.1.1 Furniture & furnishings1.1570 90.3 1.1-4.1
   05.1.2 Carpets & other floor coverings0.0768 97.5 -2.2-2.0
05.2 Household textiles0.3919 85.8 2.6-5.6
05.3 Household appliances0.4314 94.1 0.3-3.6
   05.3.1 Major household appliances whether electric or not0.3218 94.1 0.4-3.6
   05.3.2 Small electric household appliances0.0803 90.3 0.4-5.6
   05.3.3 Repair of household appliances0.0294 101.5 0.01.1
05.4 Glassware, tableware & household utensils0.3962 89.2 0.0-6.3
05.5 Tools & equipment for house & garden0.2077 95.8 -0.2-1.8
   05.5.1 Major tools & equipment0.0706 93.2 -1.1-4.0
   05.5.2 Small tools & miscellaneous accessories0.1371 97.4 0.1-1.0
05.6 Goods & services for routine household maintenance2.1233 97.8 0.2-3.8
   05.6.1 Non-durable household goods0.9074 88.0 0.7-9.1
   05.6.2 Domestic services & household services1.2159 108.3 0.00.6
Total4.7842 93.5 0.5-4.1
Table 9 COICOP Division 06 Health - August 2018
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2018 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
06.1 Medical products, appliances & equipment0.9928 97.1 -0.5-2.4
   06.1.1 Pharmaceutical products0.8063 96.2 -0.6-2.8
                   Prescribed drugs0.5053 94.1 -0.2-3.9
                   Other medicines0.3009 99.8 -1.2-1.1
   06.1.2 Other medical products0.0230 97.2 -0.5-2.5
   06.1.3 Therapeutic appliances & equipment0.1635 101.6 0.0-0.2
06.2 Out-patient services2.0012 103.7 0.11.6
   06.2.1/3 Medical & paramedical services1.3459 103.9 0.01.5
                   Doctors' fees1.1700 104.1 0.01.4
                   Other medical & paramedical services0.1759 102.9 0.42.6
   06.2.2 Dental services0.6554 103.4 0.31.9
06.3 Hospital services0.2285 100.6 0.00.3
Total3.2225 101.3 -0.10.2
Table 10 COICOP Division 07 Transport - August 2018
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2018 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
07.1 Purchase of vehicles5.2648 99.1 0.1-1.4
   07.1.1 Motor cars5.1718 99.1 0.0-1.4
   07.1.2 Motor cycles0.0307 102.5 0.0-0.2
   07.1.3 Bicycles0.0623 92.1 0.9-5.1
07.2 Operation of personal transport equipment7.0479 108.0 0.55.9
   07.2.1 Spare parts & accessories for personal transport equipment0.2975 103.1 0.65.0
   07.2.2 Fuels & lubricants for personal transport equipment4.2209 110.9 -0.312.2
                   Petrol2.1607 110.9 -0.111.1
                   Diesel2.0541 111.0 -0.413.6
                   Motor oil0.0060 103.1 0.0-0.4
   07.2.3 Maintenance & repair of personal transport equipment0.7163 100.8 0.10.5
   07.2.4 Other services in respect of personal transport equipment1.8132 105.0 2.6-5.3
                   Motor tax0.7709 100.0 0.00.0
                   Other vehicle costs1.0423 108.7 4.4-8.7
07.3 Transport services2.4949 114.8 -6.7-7.3
   07.3.1 Passenger transport by railway0.1971 101.9 0.01.6
   07.3.2 Passenger transport by road0.7282 102.0 0.02.0
                   Bus fares0.5171 101.3 0.01.3
                   Taxi fares0.2111 103.7 0.03.7
   07.3.3 Passenger transport by air1.4694 124.7 -9.9-13.3
   07.3.4 Passenger transport by sea & inland waterway0.0508 93.8 -16.8-4.2
   07.3.5 Combined passenger transport0.0221 101.0 0.00.5
   07.3.6 Other purchased transport services0.0273 102.3 0.01.2
Total14.8076 106.0 -1.00.8
Table 11 COICOP Division 08 Communications - August 2018
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2018 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
08.1 Postal services0.1385 121.7 -1.11.8
08.2/3.0 Telephone & telefax equipment and telephone & telefax services2.8984 98.7 -0.3-2.7
Total3.0368 99.8 -0.3-2.3
Table 12 COICOP Division 09 Recreation and Culture - August 2018
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2018 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
09.1 Audio-visual, photographic & information processing equipment0.4075 82.7 -0.5-9.8
   09.1.1 Equipment for the reception, recording & reproduction of sound & pictures 0.1466 80.2 0.0-14.2
   09.1.2 Photographic & cinematographic equipment & optical instruments0.0368 90.4 -0.8-7.0
   09.1.3 Information processing equipment0.1397 65.5 -1.1-21.1
   09.1.4 Recording media0.0746 96.6 -0.16.4
   09.1.5 Repair of audio-visual, photographic & information processing equipment0.0098 101.8 1.00.9
09.2 Other major durables for recreation & culture0.0132 94.4 -0.7-5.7
09.3 Other recreational items & equipment, gardens & pets1.3749 91.8 -0.8-3.5
   09.3.1 Games, toys & hobbies0.3895 90.1 -0.7-4.5
   09.3.2 Equipment for sport, camping & open-air recreation0.1579 81.8 -4.6-11.5
   09.3.3 Gardens, plants & flowers0.3579 93.7 -0.4-1.4
   09.3.4/5 Pets & related products including veterinary & other services for pets0.4696 98.8 0.00.2
09.4 Recreational & cultural services4.0485 101.4 -0.10.2
   09.4.1 Recreational & sporting services2.2277 106.5 0.33.1
                   Sports admittance0.1463 105.2 0.8-0.9
                   Sports participation1.1615 106.7 0.56.1
                   Club & society subscriptions0.8968 106.3 0.0-0.1
   09.4.2 Cultural services1.8209 98.6 -0.6-1.7
                   Cinema0.1844 103.8 0.32.4
                   Nightclubs0.0782 101.3 0.21.6
                   Cultural admittance0.2936 93.3 -3.6-12.5
                   Television services1.1997 98.6 0.00.1
                   Other entertainment0.0650 102.9 -0.31.1
09.5 Newspapers, books & stationery1.0113 101.2 -0.80.8
   09.5.1 Books0.2235 104.5 1.63.3
   09.5.2 Newspapers & periodicals0.4046 104.4 0.33.5
   09.5.3/4 Miscellaneous printed matter and stationery & drawing materials0.3831 94.1 -3.2-2.8
09.6 Package holidays1.1640 99.5 -0.4-2.3
Total8.0193 98.2 -0.4-1.1
Table 13 COICOP Division 10 Education - August 2018
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2018 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
10.1 Pre-primary & primary education0.1627 100.3 0.00.3
10.2 Secondary education0.3514 101.7 0.01.7
10.4 Tertiary education1.7036 101.8 0.01.7
10.5 Education not definable by level0.2228 101.3 0.01.3
Total2.4405 101.6 0.01.5
Table 14 COICOP Division 11 Restaurants and Hotels - August 2018
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2018 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
11.1 Catering services15.8914 103.9 0.62.3
   11.1.1 Restaurants, cafes & the like15.1076 104.1 0.62.4
                  Licenced premises7.9217 105.1 1.12.6
                      Spirits0.5081 105.4 0.92.7
                      Wine1.9413 104.3 0.82.4
                      Beer4.5643 105.2 1.22.6
                      Soft drinks & mineral water0.9080 105.8 0.93.4
                  Restaurants, cafes, fast food & take-away food7.1859 103.0 0.12.1
   11.1.2 Canteens0.7837 100.8 0.00.3
11.2 Accommodation services2.9176 126.2 1.5-1.1
Total18.8089 107.2 0.82.1
Table 15 COICOP Division 12 Miscellaneous Goods and Services - August 2018
DescriptionWeights Index Percentage changes
2018 Dec. 2016=100 1 month12 months
12.1 Personal care2.6787 95.2 -0.6-3.2
   12.1.1 Hairdressing salons & personal grooming establishments0.9991 101.7 0.21.5
                     Hairdressing0.7483 102.5 0.32.0
                     Health & beauty treatments0.2507 99.5 0.00.3
   12.1.2 Electric appliances for personal care0.0361 96.9 0.2-2.1
   12.1.3 Other appliances, articles & products for personal care1.6435 91.9 -1.2-5.7
                     Hygiene products0.4162 94.4 0.0-5.5
                     Hair products0.1997 91.6 -2.9-3.7
                     Cosmetics & skincare products0.6400 92.7 -1.3-4.6
                     Toilet accessories0.3877 88.2 -1.2-8.8
12.3 Personal effects n.e.c.0.6828 88.1 -0.3-5.2
   12.3.1 Jewellery, clocks & watches0.4138 95.4 -0.3-2.6
   12.3.2 Other personal effects0.2691 82.3 -0.4-8.1
12.4 Social protection1.1676 102.6 0.01.7
                     Childcare1.0266 102.4 0.01.6
                     Other social protection0.1410 104.0 0.02.5
12.5 Insurance5.0546 95.3 0.0-5.2
   12.5.2 Insurance connected with the dwelling0.5277 105.9 0.03.5
   12.5.3 Insurance connected with health3.4487 98.6 -0.1-6.0
   12.5.4 Insurance connected with transport1.0782 85.0 0.0-6.7
                  Motor insurance1.0470 84.5 0.0-6.9
                     Motor cycle insurance0.0069 89.3 0.0-12.5
                     Motor car insurance1.0401 84.4 0.0-6.9
                  Travel insurance0.0312 102.2 0.0-0.8
12.6 Financial services n.e.c.0.3778 99.5 0.00.1
12.7 Other services n.e.c.1.2992 102.7 0.01.2
Total11.2608 96.5 -0.1-3.1
Table 16 Consumer Price Index Goods and Services by COICOP Division - August 2018
COICOP DivisionWeights 2018 Index       Percentage changes
    Dec. 2016=100    
          
OverallGoodsServices GoodsServices GoodsServicesOverall
       12 months12 months12 months
01Food and Non Alcoholic Beverages10.34710.347- 97.4- -2.6--2.6
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco5.1025.102- 104.0- 2.9-2.9
03Clothing and Footwear4.3924.3020.090 93.2101.8 -1.01.2-0.8
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels 13.7771.59312.184 108.3107.9 12.25.86.4
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance4.7843.5301.254 89.8108.0 -5.70.7-4.1
06Health3.2220.9932.230 97.1103.4 -2.41.50.2
07Transport14.8089.7835.024 104.3109.2 4.6-5.60.8
08Communications3.0370.3002.736 71.5101.8 -23.4-0.7-2.3
09Recreation and Culture8.0192.6465.373 93.6101.1 -3.1-0.2-1.1
10Education2.440-2.440 -101.6 -1.51.5
11Restaurants and Hotels18.809-18.809 -107.2 -2.12.1
12Miscellaneous Goods & Services11.2612.3628.898 91.098.1 -5.5-2.5-3.1
ALL ITEMS100.00040.96159.039 98.2104.9 -0.11.10.7
Table 17 Contributions to the change in the All Items CPI - August 2018
COICOP DivisionPercentage contributions
1 month 3 months 12 months
01Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages-0.02 -0.03 -0.28
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco-0.04 -0.01 0.15
03Clothing and Footwear0.22 -0.13 -0.03
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels0.19 0.29 0.88
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance0.03 -0.06 -0.19
06Health0.00 0.00 0.01
07Transport-0.16 0.40 0.14
08Communications-0.01 -0.02 -0.07
09Recreation and Culture-0.03 -0.06 -0.07
10Education0.00 0.00 0.03
11Restaurants and Hotels0.14 0.45 0.42
12Miscellaneous Goods and Services-0.02 -0.10 -0.36
 All Items % change0.3 0.8 0.7 
 Goods0.11 -0.16 -0.04
 Services0.17 0.90 0.65
 Energy Products0.11 0.34 0.96
 Tobacco0.00 0.01 0.17
 Mortgage Interest0.01 0.02 -0.01
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
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
        
2018January99.2100.1 -0.70.30.3
 February100.1100.1 0.90.70.3
 March100.5100.2 0.40.50.3
 April100.3100.2 -0.2-0.10.2
 May100.9100.2 0.60.70.3
 June101.0100.3 0.10.70.4
 July101.4100.4 0.41.00.5
 August101.7100.4 0.30.90.5
Table 19 EU Harmonised Consumer Price COICOP Division Indices - August 2018 Ireland
COICOP DivisionHICP Percentage changes Percentage contributions
Year 2015=100 1 month 12 months 1 month 12 months
01Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages94.5 -0.2 -2.6 -0.02 -0.30
02Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco104.8 -0.9 2.8 -0.04 0.16
03Clothing and Footwear91.2 5.4 -0.9 0.23 -0.04
04Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels113.1 1.7 8.3 0.19 0.94
05Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance88.8 0.6 -4.1 0.03 -0.21
06Health101.9 0.0 0.3 0.00 0.02
07Transport102.3 -1.2 1.2 -0.19 0.21
08Communications97.5 -0.3 -2.4 -0.01 -0.08
09Recreation and Culture95.8 -0.3 -1.0 -0.03 -0.08
10Education106.3 0.0 1.5 0.00 0.03
11Restaurants and Hotels109.1 0.7 2.1 0.14 0.45
12Miscellaneous Goods and Services95.7 -0.3 -2.2 -0.02 -0.16
All Items HICP101.7 0.3 0.9 0.3 0.9 
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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