PREFACE
AIM OF THIS PUBLICATION
The Established House Price Index (HPI) is one of a suite of price indexes released by the ABS. Other price indexes include the Consumer Price Index, the Producer and International Trade Price Indexes and the Labour Price Index.
The purpose of this publication is to provide a description of the concepts, sources and methods behind the HPI. It includes discussion of some general issues relating to the measurement of house prices and provides background on the stratification method used to control for the effect of changes in the composition and number of houses sold within each city. This publication also includes information on how to use price indexes and provides an overview of other data series and price indexes related to housing which are produced by the ABS and published with the HPI.
The last publication of this type was A Guide to House Price Indexes, Australia 2006 (cat. no. 6464.0). This Concepts, Sources and Methods publication supercedes the Guide in that it covers recent changes in the stratification method and weights. It also provides more information on how the HPI is calculated and on price index concepts in general.
RELEASE OF HOUSE PRICE INDEX DATA
The HPI is compiled and published quarterly in House Price Indexes: Eight Capital Cities (cat. no. 6416.0). The publication is currently released approximately five weeks after the end of the reference quarter. Each quarterly issue of this publication announces the release dates for the subsequent four quarterly issues; i.e. the publication dates for these statistics are finalised and announced about twelve months in advance.
ABS CONTACTS
Comments and requests for further information about the HPI should be directed to:
Mark Dubner
Assistant Director
Prices Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
GPO Box 796
Sydney NSW 2001
Phone: 02 9268 4448
Fax: 02 9268 4710
Email: mark.dubner@abs.gov.au
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