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There are a few notable changes in the expenditure weights used in the 1994-95-based series of CPI(A), CPI(B) and Hang Seng CPI, as compared with those for the 1989-90-based series.
"The expenditure share of food declined significantly by 4 to 6 percentage points. For the relatively low expenditure households, the share decreased from 41% to 37%; for the medium expenditure households, from 35% to 29%; for the relatively high expenditure households, from 26% to 20%.
"Another distinct change is the significant rise in the expenditure share of housing by 4 to 5 percentage points. For the relatively low expenditure households, the share increased from 21% to 25%; for the medium expenditure households, from 24% to 28%; and for the relatively high expenditure households, from 29% to 34%.
"The increase in expenditure share of housing was mainly due to a relatively fast increase in rentals over the past few years. Upgrading in the quality of housing also contributed," Mr Ho said.
The expenditure share of alcoholic drinks and tobacco section dropped, partly due to a decrease in the proportion of smokers in the community,
For the other sections, the expenditure shares for households in different expenditure groups did not change in the same direction.
The expenditure shares of fuel and light as well as clothing and footwear increased for the lower expenditure households but decreased for the medium and higher expenditure households.
On the other hand, the expenditure shares of durable goods, transport, and miscellaneous services decreased for the lower expenditure households but increased generally for the medium and higher expenditure households.
The expenditure weights of the 1989-90 and 1994-95-based CPIs are compared in detail in Table 1.
The 1994-95 HES covered all domestic households living in Hong Kong. A stratified random sampling method was adopted. From a sample of about 7,300 households, about 5,600 households participated, representing a response rate of 76%. This is an improvement over the 71% response rate achieved in the previous round of the survey.