MONDAY, APRIL 27, 1987
12
CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES FOR MARCH 1987
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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY) PUBLISHED THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES FOR MARCH 1987.
THE NEW CPI(A) AND NEW CPI(B) (OCT. 84/SEP. 85 100) FOR MARCH 1987 WERE 106.9 AND 107.0 RESPECTIVELY, REPRESENTING INCREASES OF 4.4 PER CENT AND 4.2 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OVER MARCH 1986.
COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1987 AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON IS AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, THE NEW CPI(A) AND NEW CPI(B) BOTH INCREASED BY 0.3 PER CENT.
THE AVERAGE NEW CPI(A) AND AVERAGE NEW CPI(B) FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED MARCH 1987 WERE 104.7 AND 105.1 RESPECTIVELY.
THE 1979/80-BASED CPI(A) AND CPI(B) FOR MARCH 1987 WERE 169.8 AND 171.1 RESPECTIVELY. COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1987, CPI(A) AND CPI(B) BOTH INCREASED BY 0.4 PER CENT. THE AVERAGE CPI(A) AND AVERAGE CPI(B) FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED MARCH 1987, AT 166.0 AND 167.5 RESPECTIVELY, WERE 3.2 PER CENT AND 3.8 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED MARCH 1986.
PRICE MOVEMENTS DESCRIBED BELOW ARE BASED ON THE NEW CP1 SERIES. DURING THE 3-MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 1987, THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED NEW CPI(A) AND NEW CPI(B) BOTH INCREASED AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF 0.3 PER CENT PER MONTH.
DURING MARCH, TAXI FARES, RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH VEGETABLES AND CIGARETTES AND CHARGES FOR MEALS IN RESTAURANTS AND OTHER EATING PLACES INCREASED. ON THE OTHER HAND, RETAIL PRICES OF LIVE POULTRY AND FRESH FRUIT DECREASED.
THE NEW CPI(A) AND THE NEW 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 1984/85 HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY.
THE NEW CPI(A) REFERS TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $2 000 AND $6 499 A MONTH AT THAT TIME AND THE NEW CPI(B) BETWEEN $6 500 AND $9 999 A MONTH.
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