MONDAY, MAY 26, 1980
DROP IN CONSUMER PRICE INDICES FOR APRIL
******
THE CONSUMER PRICE INDICES (A) AND (B) FOR LAST MONTH (APRIL) WERE BOTH 156, DOWN BY TWO POINTS AND ONE POINT RESPECTIVELY COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH.
THE CPI (A) IS BASED ON WEIGHTS DERIVED FROM THE EXPENDITURE PATTERN OF HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $400 AND $1 499 A MONTH AND THE CPI (B) FROM THOSE SPENDING BETWEEN $1 500 AND $2 999 A MONTH, AS DETERMINED IN THE HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY OF 1973/74.
THE CHANGES FOR APRIL 1980 IN RESPECT OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE TWO INDICES, COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH AND WITH THE CORRESPONDING MONTH IN 1979, ARE AS FOLLOWS:
CPI (A)
CPI (B)
APRIL
MARCH
APRIL
APRIL
MARCH
APRIL
COMPONENT
1980
1980
1979
1980
1980
1979
FOODSTUFFS
148
153
134
151
154
134
HOUSING
151
148
140
150
149
139
FUEL AND LIGHT
263
263
149
248
247
147
ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
AND TOBACCO
181
181
156
174
174
151
CLOTHING AND
FOOTWEAR
118
118
106
116
115
104
DURABLE GOODS
133
133
123
129
129
120
MISCELLANEOUS
GOODS
167
166
141
165
164
139
TRANSPORT AND
VEHICLES
194
192
148
195
192
154
SERVICES
165
163
144
169
167
146
ALL ITEMS
156
158
137
156
157
136
THE INDEX FOR FOODSTUFFS DECREASED BY FIVE POINTS IN CPI (A) AND BY THREE POINTS IN CPI (B). PARTICULARLY SIGNIFICANT WERE THE DECREASES IN THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH VEGETABLES, PORK, SALT-WATER FISH AND LIVE POULTRY, ON THE OTHER HAND, THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE OF RICE INCREASED. THE COST OF MEALS BOUGHT IN RESTAURANTS ALSO WENT UP. MOVEMENTS IN THE RETAIL PRICES OF OTHER FOOD ITEMS WERE INSIGNIFICANT.
/THE INDEX