XN000022-1985-04-26 — Page 12

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FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1985

CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES FOR MARCH 1995

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THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) ROSE BY 4.1 PER CENT AND THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (B) BY 4.4 PER CENT BETWEEN MARCH 1984 AND MARCH 1985. ACCORDING TO FIGURES PUBLISHED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE CPI(A) AND CPI(B) FOR MARCH 1995 WERE 159.3 AND 159.1 RESPECTIVELY, OR 6.4 POINTS AND 6.7 POINTS RESPECTIVELY HIGHER THAN THOSE FOR MARCH 1984. COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1985 AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON IS AFFECTED BY SEASON AL FACTORS, CPI(A) INCREASED BY 1.4 POINTS OR 0.9 PER CENT AND CPI(B), BY 1.1 POINTS OR 0.7 PER CENT.

THE AVERAGE CP1(A) AND AVERAGE CPI (B) FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED MARCH 1995, AT 156.2 AND 156.1 RESPECTIVELY, WERE 6.3 PER CENT AND 6.7 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGES FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED MARCH 1984.

DURING THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 1985, BOTH THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED CPL(A) AND CPI(B) INCREASED AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF 0.2 PER CENT EACH MONTH.

DURING MARCH, FOOD PRICES, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF FRESH VEGETABLES, WERE HIGHER. CHARGES FOR MEALS IN RESTAURANTS AND OTHER EATING PLACES ALSO WENT UP. ON THE OTHER HAND, HAIRDRESSING CHARGES WERE LOWER AFTER THE LUNAR NEW YEAR.

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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) REFERS 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 MARCH 1985 IN RESPECT OF THE NINE COMMODITY- SERVICE SECTIONS IN THE TWO CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES ARE GIVEN BELOW, TOGETHER WITH THOSE FOR FEBRUARY 1985 AND MARCH 1984,

(OCTOBER 1979 TO SEPTEMBER 1980 AVERAGE

=

100)

CPL(A)

CP1 (B)

SECTION

FOODSTUFFS

MAR 84 FEB 85 MAR 85 MAR 84

FEB 85

MAR 85

HOUSING

154.4

142.1 153.3 153.4

155.6 156.8

154.7

156.5

157.6

142.8

152.8

152.9

/FUEL AND .................