Table 1

Consumer Price Indices and Year-on-year Rates
of Change at Section Level for December 2004
(Oct. 1999 - Sep. 2000=100)
Section Composite CPI CPI(A) CPI(B) CPI(C)
Index
for
Dec
2004		 % change
over
Dec
2003		 Index
for
Dec
2004		 % change
over
Dec
2003		 Index
for
Dec
2004		 % change
over
Dec
2003		 Index
for
Dec
2004		 % change
over
Dec
2003
Food 96.6 +1.6 96.5 +1.9 96.4 +1.5 97.3 +1.2
 Meals bought away from home 97.1 +0.4 97.1 +0.6 96.5 +0.6 98.4 -0.3
 Food, excluding meals bought away from home 95.8 +3.6 95.7 +3.6 96.1 +3.4 95.5 +3.9
Housing # 80.4 -3.4 82.7 -2.9 79.9 -3.7 78.4 -3.6
 Private housing rent 76.9 -4.3 77.4 -4.1 77.2 -4.4 76.1 -4.4
 Public housing rent 99.6 +0.1 99.6 +0.1 99.6 +0.1 - -
Electricity, gas and water 106.5 +4.1 106.1 +4.1 106.6 +4.2 107.2 +4.0
Alcoholic drinks and tobacco 106.1 -0.2 106.3 -0.2 106.2 -0.2 104.8 -0.4
Clothing and footwear 101.9 +4.3 103.0 +5.2 104.1 +5.9 97.5 +1.0
Durable goods 77.9 -1.8 79.1 -1.3 77.0 -2.0 78.2 -2.0
Miscellaneous goods 111.2 +2.1 108.8 +1.2 110.3 +2.0 114.6 +3.1
Transport 100.4 +0.9 99.4 +0.7 100.7 +1.1 101.0 +0.8
Miscellaneous services 95.8 +1.7 93.6 +1.7 96.2 +1.9 97.0 +1.6
 Selected major groups                
 Educational services 105.5 +1.1 104.8 +1.0 104.8 +1.0 107.5 +1.5
 Telephone and other communications services 66.6 -2.3 68.6 -2.1 64.8 -3.2 66.6 -0.8
 Medical services 104.9 +1.8 105.8 +0.8 106.3 +2.4 102.4 +1.7
All items 92.2 +0.2 92.9 +0.5 92.0 +0.2 91.8 -0.1

- Not applicable.

Note:

The CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) are compiled by reference to the average expenditure patterns for different groups of households as obtained from the Household Expenditure Survey. By aggregating the expenditure patterns of all households covered by the above three indices, a Composite CPI is also compiled.
The expenditure ranges of the households covered in the 1999/2000-based CPI series are as follows:

  Approximate percentage
of households covered
(%)		 Average monthly
household expenditure range
(at 1999/2000 prices)
($)		 Average monthly
household expenditure range
(adjusted to 2004 prices)
($)
CPI(A) 50 4,500-18,499 4,200-17,000
CPI(B) 30 18,500-32,499 17,000-29,800
CPI(C) 10 32,500-65,999 29,800-60,400
Composite CPI 90 4,500-65,999 4,200-60,400

# Apart from "Private housing rent" and "Public housing rent", the "Housing" section also includes "Management fee and other housing charges" and "Tools and materials for house maintenance".

Last updated: 21 January 2005