MONDAY, MAY 25, 1987
2
CONSUMER PRICE INDICES FOR APRIL 1987
*****
THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) AND NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (B) FOR APRIL 1987 WERE 108.1 AND 108.3 RESPECTIVELY, REPRESENTING INCREASES OF 5.0 PER CENT AND 4.7 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OVER APRIL 1986, ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
COMPARED WITH MARCH 1987 AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON MAY BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, THE NEW CPI(A) INCREASED BY 1.1 PER CENT AND THE NEW CPI(B), BY 1.2 PER CENT.
THE AVERAGE NEW CPI(A) AND AVERAGE NEW CPI(B) FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED APRIL 1987 WERE 105.2 AND 105.5 RESPECTIVELY.
DURING THE 3-MONTH PERIOD ENDED APRIL 1987, THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED NEW CPI(A) AND NEW CPI(B) BOTH INCREASED AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF 0.4 PER CENT PER MONTH.
DURING APRIL, RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH VEGETABLES AND CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR WERE HIGHER. RENTALS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DWELLINGS CHARGES FOR MEALS IN RESTAURANTS AND OTHER EATING PLACES, JEWELLERÝ TAXI FARES AND FUEL COST ADJUSTMENT FOR TOWNGAS ALSO WENT UP. ON THE OTHER HAND, RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH FRUIT AND OTHER FRESH SEA PRODUCTS 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 SÚRVEY.
THE NEW CPI(A) REFERS TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $2 000 AND $6 499 A MONTH AT THAT TIME AND THE NEW CP1(B) BETWEEN $6 500 AND $9 999 A MONTH.
CHANGES IN THE INDICES FOR APRIL 1987 IN RESPECT OF THE NINE COMMODITY/SERVICE SECTIONS IN THE TWO CONSUMER PRICE INDICES, AS COMPARED WITH MARCH 1987 AND APRIL 1986, ARE GIVEN BELOW.
(OCTOBER 1984 TO SEPTEMBER 1985 AVERAGE -
100)
NEW CPI(A)
NEW CPI(B)
INDEX FOR
% CHANGE % CHANGE
SECTION
APR. 87
OVER
OVER MAR. 87 APR. 86
INDEX FOR
% CHANGE % CHANGE
APR. 87
OVER OVER MAR. 87 APR. 86
FOODSTUFFS
104.7
+1.3
+4.0
105.1
+1.1
+4.0
HOUSING
109.1
+0.5
+4.7
106.9
+0,2
+3.1
FUEL AND LIGHT
92.7
+0.9
-2.8
93.5
+1.2
-2.3
/ALCOHOLIC DRINKS ....