¹Office for National Statistics

Describes the annual review process and explains how and why the various items in the basket are chosen

As part of a process of continual improvement, and to help ensure that the consumer prices index (CPI) and retail prices index (RPI) are representative of consumer spending patterns, the items that are priced in compiling the indices are reviewed each year. This article describes the review process and explains how and why the various items in the CPI and RPI baskets are chosen. The contents of the CPI and RPI baskets for 2008 are summarised in Annexes A and B of the full article, which can be downloaded from the National Statistics website at www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/article.asp?id=1951

The main changes from the 2007 price collection are discussed. Similar articles have been published in previous years. This article also describes two changes to the methodology used to compile the CPI and RPI. These relate to the measurement of gas and electricity, and fresh fruit and vegetable prices.

Full Version

The Full Text of this article can be found on the National Statistics website(http://www.statistics.gov.uk/elmr/04_08/downloads/elmr_apr08_gooding.pdf).