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Statistics on consumer prices
Consumer price indices (CPIs) measure changes over time in the level of prices of goods and services that households consume. In many countries, they were originally introduced to provide a measure of the changes in the living costs faced by workers, so that wage increases could be related to the changing levels of prices. However, over the years, CPIs have widened their scope. Nowadays, they are widely used as a macroeconomic indicator of inflation, a key statistic for governments and central banks for inflation targeting and for monitoring price stability. They are also used as deflators in national accounts. With the globalisation of trade and production and the liberalisation of markets, national governments, central banks and international organisations place great importance on the quality and accuracy of national CPIs, and in their international comparability.
Table of contents
Consumer price indices (CPIs) measure changes over time in the level of prices of goods and services that households consume. In many countries, they were originally introduced to provide a measure of the changes in the living costs faced by workers, so that wage increases could be related to the changing levels of prices. However, over the years, CPIs have widened their scope. Nowadays, they are widely used as a macroeconomic indicator of inflation, a key statistic for governments and central banks for inflation targeting and for monitoring price stability. They are also used as deflators in national accounts. With the globalisation of trade and production and the liberalisation of markets, national governments, central banks and international organisations place great importance on the quality and accuracy of national CPIs, and in their international comparability.
Featured publication
Consumer Price Index Manual: Concepts and Methods | 2020
The manual provides an overview of the methods and practices national statistical offices should consider when making decisions on how to deal with the various problems in the compilation of a consumer price index (CPI). It is an update of the 2004 CPI manual.
Data
Methods
Consumer Price Index Manual: Concepts and Methods | 2020
The manual provides an overview of the methods and practices national statistical offices should consider when making decisions on how to deal with the various problems in the compilation of a consumer price index (CPI). It is an update of the 2004 CPI manual.
COVID-19 Guidance for labour statistics data collection: Consumer Price Indexes
The COVID-19 crisis is affecting data collection activities of national statistical offices (NSOs) around the world, including for consumer price indexes (CPI).
Sources and Methods Volume 1: Consumer Price Indices (2013)
Volume 1 of Sources and Methods: Labour Statistics presents methodological descriptions of the main characteristics of national series of consumer price indices. The 2003 edition is a revised, enlarged and updated version of the 1992 edition and contains descriptions for 169 countries, areas and territories.
Practical Guide to Producing Consumer Price Indices
This Handbook is targeted at developing countries focusing on practical solutions to the problems facing compilers of the consumer price index (CPI) in the developing world. It provides practical guidance on all aspects of compiling a CPI, and offers advice on a range of operational issues in data collection, data processing and publication. Although targeted at CPI compilers in developing countries it will also be of interest to compilers more generally. The Handbook follows and supplements the international Consumer Price Index Manual. Theory and Practice, published in 2004.
Consumer Price Index Manual. Theory and Practice.
This important and comprehensive manual provides guidelines for statistical offices and other agencies responsible for constructing CPIs and explains in-depth the methods that are used to calculate a CPI. It also examines the underlying economic and statistical concepts and principles needed for making choices in efficient and cost effective ways and for appreciating the full implications of those choices.
Resolution concerning consumer price indices
Adopted by the 17th ICLS (2003), this resolution modifies and broadens the prior standards in the light of recent methodological and computational developments to enhance the usefulness of the international standards in the provision of technical guidelines to all countries.