WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1984
DURING JANUARY FOOD PRICES, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF FRESH
PRIVATE DWELLING RENTALS, VEGETABLES AND LIVE POULTRY, WERE HIGHER.
HAIRDRESSING CHARGES, BUS AND FERRY FARES ALSO WENT UP.
THE CPI(A) AND CPI(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 CPI(A) REFERRED TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $1 000 AND $3 499 A MONTH, AND THE CPI(B) TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $3 500 AND $6 499 A MONTH AT THAT TIME.
THE INDEXES FOR JANUARY 1984 FOR THE NINE COMMODITY-SERVICE SECTIONS IN THE TWO CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES ARE GIVEN BELOW, TOGETHER WITH THOSE FOR DECEMBER 1983 AND JANUARY 1983.
(OCTOBER 1979 TO SEPTEMBER 1980 AVERAGE
100)
CP1(A)
CPI(B)
SECTION
·
JAN.83
JAN.84 DEC.83
JAN.83 DEC.83
JAN.84
FOODSTUFFS
137
150
152
137
151
153
HOUSING
133
140
142
132
140
142
FUEL AND LIGHT
145
151
151
146
151
151
ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
130
207
207
129
199
200
AND TOBACCO (FOR
HOME CONSUMPTION)
CLOTHING AND
135
150
149
136
151
150
FOOTWEAR
+
DURABLE GOODS
107
123
123
110
127
126
MISCELLANEOUS
128
146
146
127
143
143
GOODS
TRANSPORT AND
145
159
165
147
162
166
VEHICLES
SERVICES
144
163
165
142
161
164
ALL ITEMS
135
150
152
135
149
151
COMPARED WITH DECEMBER 1983, THE INDEX FOR FOODSTUFFS INCREASED BY TWO POINTS IN BOTH CPI(A) AND CPI(B). THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH VEGETABLES, LIVE POULTRY, PORK, SHRIMPS AND CRABS WENT UP DUE TO INCREASED DEMAND ON THE APPROACH OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR. THE EFFECT OF MOVEMENTS IN THE RETAIL PRICES OF OTHER FOOD ITEMS ON THE INDEX FOR FOODSTUFFS WAS INSIGNIFICANT.
THE TWO-POINT RISE IN THE INDEX FOR HOUSING IN BOTH CPI(A) AND CPI(B) WAS DUE TO INCREASED RENTS FOR PRIVATE DWELLINGS.
/THE INDEX