THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1980
CONSUMER PRICE INDICES FOR JANUARY
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THE CONSUMER PRICE INDICES (A) AND (B) FOR LAST MONTH (JANUARY) WERE BOTH 150, EACH BEING THREE POINTS HIGHER THAN THAT FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH,
THE CENTRED 12-MONTH MOVING AVERAGE FOR JULY 1979, THAT IS, THE SIMPLE AVERAGE OF THE TWO MOVING ANNUAL AVERAGES ENDING DECEMBER 1979 AND JANUARY 1980 RESPECTIVELY, WAS 140.0 FOR CPI (A) AND 140.1 FOR CPI (B), EACH BEING 1.2 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH. WHEN COMPARED WITH THE CENTRED 12-MONTH MOVING AVERAGE FOR JULY A YEAR AGO, THE INCREASES WERE RESPECTIVELY 12 PER CENT AND 11.8 PER CENT.
THE CPI (A) IS BASED ON WEIGHTS DERIVED FROM THE EXPENDITURE OF HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $400 - $1 499 A MONTH AND THE CPI (B), BETWEEN $1 500 - $2 999 A MONTH IN THE HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY, 1973/74.
THE SECTION INDICES FOR JANUARY 1980, COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH AND THE CORRESPONDING MONTH IN 1979, ARE GIVEN BELOW:
CPI (A)
CPI (B)
SECTION
JAN 80 DEC 79 JAN 79 JAN 80 DEC 79 JAN 79
FOODSTUFFS
142
140
123
145
142
125
HOUSING
148
148
137
148
148
136
FUEL AND LIGHT
239
208
135
226
200
134
ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
168
168
150
163
163
145
AND TOBACCO
CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR
117
117
105
115
116
104
DURABLE GOODS
131
131
120
127
127
118
MISCELLANEOUS GOODS 164
163
138
162
158
135
TRANSPORT AND VEHICLES 167
165
136
173
171
139
SERVICES
158
157
143
162
160
144
ALL ITEMS
150
147
129
150
147
129
THE INDEX FOR FOODSTUFFS ADVANCED BY TWO POINTS IN CPI (A) AND BY THREE POINTS IN CPI (B).
RISES WERE RECORDED IN THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH VEGETABLES, FRESH-WATER FISH, SALT-WATER FISH AND LIVE POULTRY. COST OF MEALS BOUGHT AWAY FROM HOME ALSO WENT UP AS SOME RESTAURANTS AND EATING-PLACES RAISED THEIR PRICES. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE OF FRESH FRUITS DECLINED.
THE
/MOVEMENTS