XN000022-1985-02-28 — Page 6

5

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1985

THE AVERAGE CPI(A) AND AVERAGE CPI(B) FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED JANUARY 1985, AT 155.3 AND 155.1 RESPECTIVELY, WERE 7.4 PER CENT AND 7.8 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGES FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED JANUARY 1984.

DURING THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD ENDED JANUARY 1985, BOTH THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED CPI(A) AND CPI(B) INCREASED AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF 0.4 PER CENT EACH MONTH.

DURING JANUARY, PRIVATE DWELLING RENTALS WERE HIGHER

BUT RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH VEGETABLES DECREASED.

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 1985 IN RESPECT OF THE NINE COMMODITY/ SERVICE SECTIONS IN THE TWO CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES ARE GIVEN BELOW, TOGETHER WITH THOSE FOR DECEMBER 1984 AND JANUARY 1984.

(OCTOBER 1979 TO SEPTEMBER 1980 AVERAGE

CPI(A)

100)

CPI (B)

SECTION

JAN 84 DEC 84 JAN 85

JAN 84

DEC 84 JAN 85

FOODSTUFFS

152.3 153.9 153.4

152.8

154.6

154.3

HOUSING

141.5

152.7

153.2

142.2

152.2

152.8

FUEL AND LIGHT

151.2

146.8 146.8

151.0

146.7

146.7

ALCOHOLIC DRINKS

AND TOBACCO

(FOR HOME

CONSUMPTION)

207.3

208.3

208.5

199.6

200.8

201.0

CLOTHING AND

FOOTWEAR

149.5

165.3

165.2

149.7

167.3

166.7

DURABLE GOODS

123.3

124.1 124.2

126.4 128.5 128.6

MISCELLANEOUS

GOODS

146.1

150.3

149.5

143.2

146.7 145.4

TRANSPORT AND

VEHICLES

164.5 172.6

173.0

166.2 175.1 175.5

SERVICES

165.4 178.6

179.4

163.7

174.8 175.5

ALL ITEMS

151.6

156.7

156.5

151.1

157.0

157.0

/COMPARED WITH