WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1979
1
CONSUMER PRICE INDICES FOR OCTOBER
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THE CONSUMER PRICE INDICES (A) AND (B) FOR LAST MONTH (OCTOBER) WERE BOTH 146, EACH BEING ONE POINT HIGHER THAN IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH.
THE CENTRED 12-MONTH MOVING AVERAGE FOR APRIL 1979, I.E. THE SIMPLE AVERAGE OF THE TWO MOVING ANNUAL AVERAGES ENDING SEPTEMBER 1979 AND OCTOBER 1979 RESPECTIVELY, WAS 135.3 FOR C.P.I. (A) AND 135.4 FOR C.P.I. (B), EACH BEING 1.1 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH. COMPARED WITH THE CENTRED 12-MONTH MOVING AVERAGE FOR APRIL A YEAR AGO, THE INCREASES WERE 10.3 PER CENT AND 10.1 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.
THE C.P.1. (A) IS BASED ON WEIGHTS DERIVED FROM THE EXPENDITURE OF HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $400-$1 499 A MONTH AND THE C.P.I.(B), BETWEEN $1 500-$2 999 A MONTH IN THE HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY, 1973/74.
THE SECTION INDICES FOR OCTOBER 1979, COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH AND THE CORRESPONDING MONTH IN 1978, ARE AS FOLLOWS:
C.P.I.(B)
C.P.I.(A)
SECTION
OCT. 79 SEP.79 OCT. 78
OCT.79 SEP. 79 OCT. 78
FOODSTUFFS
142
141
128
144
143
128
HOUSING
146
146
132
146
146
131
FUEL AND LIGHT
199
193
134
194
187
133
ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
AND TOBACCO
167
167
146
162
162
142
CLOTHING AND
FOOTWEAR
112
112
104
110
110
103
DURABLE GOODS
130
129
118
127
126
115
MISCELLANEOUS
GOODS
148
147
136
147
145
133
TRANSPORT AND
VEHICLES
159
159
124
165
165
128
SERVICES
155
148
138
158
151
140
ALL ITEMS
146
145
129
146
145
129
THE INDEX FOR FOODSTUFFS INCREASED BY ONE POINT IN BOTH C.P.I. (A) AND C.P.1. (B). RISES WERE RECORDED IN THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH FRUITS, LIVE POULTRY, RICE AND SALT-WATER FISH.
/THE COSTS
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