1308.8 - In fACT - Statistical Information on the ACT and Region, Feb 2009  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/02/2009   
   Page tools:  
Contents >> Economy >> Consumer Price Index

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX

Change from previous year

Change from previous quarter

Most significant price rise by group


Introduction

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a widely used economic indicator, that provides a general measure of changes in prices of consumer goods and services purchased by Australian households. Prices are measured in each of the eight state and territory capital cities. The CPI 'basket' is split into 11 major groups:
Food, Alcohol and tobacco, Clothing and footwear, Housing, Household contents and services, Health, Transportation, Communication, Recreation, Education and Financial and insurance services. These groups contain the 90 expenditure classes, which in turn contain a selection of the individual items which are priced each quarter.

Further information about the CPI is contained in Australian Consumer Price Index: Concepts, Sources and Methods, 2005 (cat. no. 6461.0).


Change from previous year

Consumer Price Index, Percentage change from corresponding quarter of previous year - Dec Qtr 08
Graph: Consumer Price Index, Percentage change from corresponding quarter of previous year—Dec Qtr 08


In the year to December 2008, the All Groups Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 3.7% for both Canberra and Australia (weighted average of the eight capital cities). In Canberra the most significant price rise occurred in Housing, up 7.1%. The most significant rise nationally was in Financial and Insurance Services, up 7.0%. In Canberra there were decreases in Transportation and in Clothing and Footwear. Nationally, the only fall was in Transportation.


Change from previous quarter

Consumer Price Index, Percentage change from previous period - Dec Qtr 08
Graph: Consumer Price Index, Percentage change from previous period—Dec Qtr 08


In the December quarter 2008 the All Groups CPI fell by 0.4% for Canberra, and 0.3% nationally (weighted average of eight capital cities). The most significant fall occurred for Transportation, down 7.3% in Canberra and 6.9% nationally. The most significant price rise occurred in Food, up 1.9% in Canberra and 2.0% nationally.


Most significant price change by group
Consumer Price Index by Expenditure Class, Canberra - Transportation - Dec Qtr 08
Graph: Consumer Price Index by Expenditure Class, Canberra—Transportation—Dec Qtr 08


The largest contributor to the decrease of 0.4% in the CPI for Canberra in December quarter 2008 was Transportation (-7.3%).
Within the Transportation group, the key driver of the decrease was the price for Automotive fuel, which fell by 19.1% in the quarter.




Previous PageNext Page