| The consumer price index numbers are designed to show changes over time in the general level of prices of goods and services that a reference population acquire, use or pay for consumption. A consumer price index is estimated as a series of summary measures of the period-to-period proportional change in the prices of a fixed set of consumer goods and services of constant quantity and characteristics, acquired, used or paid for by the reference population.
Each summary measure is constructed as a weighted average of a large number of elementary aggregate indices. Each of the elementary aggregate indices is estimated using a sample of prices for a defined set of goods and services obtained in, or by residents of, a specific region from a given set of outlets or other sources of consumption goods and services.
The scope of consumer price indices can vary between countries not only in terms of the types of households or population groups covered but also in terms of geographical coverage. National practices also differ as regards the treatment of certain issues relating to the computation of consumer price indices, including seasonal items, quality changes, new products, durable goods and owner-occupied housing.
There are differences in methods used in collecting prices and compiling indices. As a result, consumer price indices presented in these tables should be considered as indicative only, particularly for the purposes of indexation or deflation.
This table presents the general index for all groups of consumption items combined and one of its components, the food group index, which includes beverages.
As the original base period of the series varies from one country to another, a uniform base (2000=100) has been adopted for the presentation of the data and as many series as possible have been converted to it. When a series has been interrupted and replaced by a new series, the latter is linked to the former if the two series are sufficiently comparable; otherwise it is published on a new base.
Further information on the scope, definitions and methods used for compiling the consumer price indices is given in ILO's Sources and Methods: Labour Statistics, Vol. 1 and the Year Book of Labour Statistics
General note.
The index numbers shown in this table are based on 2000=100
unless otherwise indicated. Annual and quarterly figures shown
are usually averages of monthly figures. Detailed descriptions
of these series are given in the United Nations 1977 Supplement
to the Statistical Yearbook and the Monthly Bulletin of
Statistics. |
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