MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1982
2
CONSUMER PRICE INCREASE SLOWING DOWN
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HE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY) PUBLISHED THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES FOR SEPTEMBER 1982. THE CONSUMER PRICE
INDEX (A) AND CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (B) FOR SEPTEMBER 1982 WERE BOTH 132.
COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH, C.P.I. (A) REMAINED UNCHANGED BUT C.P.I. (B) INCREASED BY ONE POINT OR 0.8 PER CENT.
WHEN COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH IN 1981, C.P.I. (A) INCREASED BY 11 POINTS OR 9.1 PER CENT AND C.P.I. (B) BY 12 POINTS OR 10 PER CENT. THIS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT UPON THE INCREASE OF 15 PER CENT RECORDED IN 1981.
DURING THE MONTH, FOOD PRICES, ESPECIALLY CHARGES FOR MEALS IN RESTAURANTS, INCREASED. PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE RENTALS, JEWELLERY PRICES AND SCHOOL BUS FARES ALSO WENT UP.
THE C.P.I. (A) AND C.P.I. (B) ARE BASED ON THE EXPENDITURE PATTERNS OF 50 PER CENT AND 30 PER CENT, RESPECTIVELY, OF URBAN HOUSEHOLDS IN HONG KONG, WHICH WERE DERIVED FROM THE 1979/80 HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY. THE C.P.I. (A) REFERRED TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $1 000 AND $3 499 A MONTH AND THE C.P.I (B) TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $3 500 AND $6 499 A MONTH AT THAT TIME.
THE INDEXES FOR SEPTEMBER 1982 IN RESPECT OF THE NINE COMMODITY/SERVICE SECTIONS IN THE TWO CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES ARE GIVEN BELOW, TOGETHER WITH THOSE FOR AUGUST 1982 AND SEPTEMBER 1981.
(OCTOBER 1979 TO SEPTEMBER 1980 AVERAGE - - 100)
C.P.I.(A)
C.P.I.(B)
SECTION
SEPT.81 AUG.82 SEPT.82 SEPT.81 AUG.82 SEPT.82
FOODSTUFFS
125
137
138
125
137
138
HOUSING
116
126
127
116
126
127
FUEL AND LIGHT
138
134
134
138
135
134
ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND
TOBACCO (FOR HOME
117
125
124
116
124
124
CONSUMPTION)
CLOTHING AND
114
129
130
113
129
130
FOOTWEAR
/DURABLE GOODS