Table 1

Consumer Price Indices and Year-on-year Rates
of Change at Section Level for August 2000
(Oct. 1994 - Sep. 1995 = 100)

Section Composite CPI CPI(A) CPI(B) CPI(C)
Index
for
Aug
2000		 % change
over
Aug
1999		 Index
for
Aug
2000		 % change
over
Aug
1999		 Index
for
Aug
2000		 % change
over
Aug
1999		 Index
for
Aug
2000		 % change
over
Aug
1999
Food 106.8 -1.7 106.4 -1.8 106.9 -1.6 107.3 -1.3
Meals bought away from home 109.7 -0.9 110.6 -0.8 109.1 -0.9 109.2 -0.6
Food, excl. meals bought away from home 102.3 -3.0 101.4 -3.2 102.9 -2.9 103.1 -3.0
Housing 111.7 -6.4 112.3 -3.6 108.3 -6.3 115.5 -8.9
Fuel and light 118.4 +2.9 118.0 +3.0 118.2 +2.8 120.1 +2.8
Alcoholic drinks and tobacco 121.6 -0.1 121.7 * 122.2 -0.1 120.3 -0.3
Clothing and footwear 78.0 -11.6 81.2 -11.9 79.8 -12.8 73.0 -9.4
Durable goods 94.4 -1.7 96.1 -1.5 94.0 -1.8 93.4 -1.8
Miscellaneous goods 111.7 +1.8 115.8 +1.5 111.4 +1.8 107.0 +2.2
Transport 119.5 +1.9 119.2 +1.0 118.4 +1.2 121.5 +3.7
Miscellaneous services 115.3 +1.2 119.1 +1.5 116.5 +1.0 111.0 +1.4
All items 108.4 -2.7 109.5 -1.8 107.4 -2.7 108.5 -3.6
Note: * denotes a figure within +/- 0.05%.

Monthly Consumer Price Indices are compiled on the basis of (a) the expenditure patterns of the relevant households, and (b) the prices collected currently for the month. The expenditure patterns underlying the 1994/95-based CPIs are based on the patterns derived from the 1994/95 Household Expenditure Survey. The CPI(A) is based on the expenditure pattern of the lower 50% of households in Hong Kong, which had an average monthly expenditure of $4000 - $15999 in 1994/95 (broadly equivalent to $4500 - $18000 at 1999 prices). The CPI(B) is based on the expenditure pattern of the next 30% of households, which had an average monthly expenditure of $16000 - $29999 in 1994/95 (broadly equivalent to $18000 - $34000 at 1999 prices). The CPI(C) is based on the expenditure pattern of the further next 10% of households, which had an average monthly expenditure of $30000 - $59999 in 1994/95 (broadly equivalent to $34000 - $68700 at 1999 prices). The Composite CPI, as the broadest measure of consumer price inflation, is compiled by reference to the expenditure pattern of all of the above households taken together. The remaining 10% of households with the lowest or highest expenditure are not covered by the CPIs.

Last updated: 22 September 2000