WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1987
CONSUMER PRICE INDICES FOR AUGUST RELEASED
THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX(A) AND NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX(B) FOR AUGUST 1987 WERE BOTH 110.4, REPRESENTING INCREASES OF 6.2 PER CENT AND 5.9 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OVER AUGUST 1986, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
COMPARED WITH JULY 1987 AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON MAY BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX(A) INCREASED BY 1.1 PER CENT AND THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX(B), BY 0.8 PER CENT.
THE AVERAGE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX(A) AND AVERAGE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX(B) FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED AUGUST 1987 WERE 107.1 AND 107.3 RESPECTIVELY.
AN
DURING THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD ENDING AUGUST 1987, THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) INCREASED AT AVERAGE RATE OF 0.5 PER CENT PER MONTH, AND THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX(B), AT 0.4 PER CENT PER MONTH.
DURING AUGUST, RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH VEGETABLES AND FOR MEALS IN RESTAURANTS AND OTHER EATING PLACES INCREASED. OTHER HAND, RETAIL PRICES OF CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR DECREASED.
CHARGES ON THE
THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) AND THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX(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 CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) REFERS TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $2,000 AND $6,499 A MONTH AT THAT TIME AND THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX(B) BETWEEN $6,500 AND $9,999 A MONTH.
CHANGES IN THE INDICES FOR AUGUST 1987 IN RESPECT OF THE NINE COMMODITY/SERVICE SECTIONS IN THE TWO CONSUMER PRICE INDICES, AS COMPARED WITH JULY 1987 AND AUGUST 1986, ARE GIVEN BELOW.
(OCTOBER 1984 TO SEPTEMBER 1985 AVERAGE = 100)
CPI(A)
CPI (B)
INDEX X CHANGE * CHANGE
INDEX
SECTION
FOR AUG.87
OVER JUL.87
OVER AUG.86
FOR AUG.87
X CHANGE * CHANGE
OVER
OVER JUL.87 AUG.86
FOODSTUFFS
108.0
+2 .3
+5.6
108.3
+1.9
+5.7
HOUSING
110.0
+0.
2
+5.
0
108.0
+0.3
+3.5
/FUEL AND