1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/01/2002   
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Contents >> Prices >> CPI - Long-term price series

Although the CPI has only been compiled from 1948, an approximate long-term measure of retail price change has been constructed by linking together other selected retail price index series (see graph 28.4 and table 28.5). The index numbers are expressed on a reference base 1945 = 100.0, which was the end of a period of relative price stability during World War II. The successive series linked together to produce this long-term series of index numbers are:

  • from 1850 to 1901, Sydney Retail Price Index;
  • from 1901 to 1914, the A Series Index;
  • from 1914 to 1946-47, the C Series Index;
  • from 1946-47 to 1948-49, a combination of the C Series Index (excluding rent) and the housing group of the CPI; and
  • from 1948-49 onwards, the CPI.

For more information about these series see Year Book Australia 1995 (1301.0).



28.5 RETAIL PRICE INDEX NUMBERS(a)(b) - 1850 to 2000

Year
Index no.
Year
Index no.
Year
Index no.
Year
Index no.
Year
Index no.
Year
Index no.

1850
53
1880
*45
1910
52
1940
*85
1970
*313
2000
2289
1851
56
1881
*46
1911
53
1941
*89
1971
*332
1852
56
1882
*56
1912
59
1942
*97
1972
*352
1853
69
1883
*55
1913
59
1943
*101
1973
*385
1854
89
1884
*52
1914
61
1944
*100
1974
*443
1855
103
1885
*53
1915
70
1945
*100
1975
*510
1856
78
1886
*56
1916
71
1946
102
1976
*579
1857
82
1887
*52
1917
75
1947
106
1977
650
1858
86
1888
*52
1918
80
1948
117
1978
702
1859
73
1889
*51
1919
91
1949
128
1979
766
1860
72
1890
*51
1920
103
1950
140
1980
844
1861
71
1891
*50
1921
90
1951
167
1981
926
1862
65
1892
*49
1922
87
1952
196
1982
1,028
1863
58
1893
*48
1923
89
1953
205
1983
1,132
1864
60
1894
*42
1924
88
1954
206
1984
1,177
1865
64
1895
*42
1925
88
1955
211
1985
1,257
1866
60
1896
*42
1926
90
1956
224
1986
1,370
1867
50
1897
*42
1927
89
1957
229
1987
1,487
1868
54
1898
*41
1928
89
1958
233
1988
1,594
1869
46
1899
45
1929
91
1959
237
1989
1,714
1870
48
1900
43
1930
87
1960
245
1990
1,839
1871
47
1901
47
1931
78
1961
252
1991
1,898
1872
43
1902
50
1932
74
1962
251
1992
1,917
1873
47
1903
49
1933
71
1963
252
1993
1,952
1874
52
1904
46
1934
73
1964
258
1994
1,989
1875
53
1905
48
1935
74
1965
268
1995
2,082
1876
51
1906
48
1936
75
1966
276
1996
2,136
1877
53
1907
48
1937
78
1967
286
1997
2,141
1878
51
1908
51
1938
80
1968
293
1998
2,159
1879
45
1909
51
1939
82
1969
302
1999
2,191

(a) Reference base year 1945 = 100.0.
(b) The index numbers relate to Sydney from 1850 to 1900; from 1901 to 1980 they relate to the weighted average of six State capital cities; and from 1981 to the weighted average of eight capital cities. Index numbers are for calendar years.
* Revised 21 March 2002

Source: ABS data available on request, Consumer Price Index.



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