The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (December 21) the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures for November 2006. According to the new 2004/05-based series of Composite CPI, overall consumer prices rose by 2.2 percent in November 2006 over a year earlier, larger than the 2.0 percent increase in October.
The larger year-on-year increase in the Composite CPI in November 2006 than in October was mainly attributable to the enlarged increases in the prices of clothing and footwear as well as some basic foodstuff.
Analysed by sub-index and on a year-on-year comparison, the CPI(A), CPI(B), and CPI(C) rose by 1.8 percent, 2.2 percent and 2.6 percent respectively in November 2006, also larger than the corresponding increases of 1.7 percent, 2.1 percent and 2.1 percent in October.
For discerning the latest trend in consumer prices, it is also useful to look at the changes in the seasonally adjusted CPIs. For the 3-month period ended November 2006, the average monthly rates of increase in the seasonally adjusted Composite CPI, CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 0.1 percent, virtually nil, 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent respectively.
The corresponding rates of increase for the 3-month period ended October 2006 were all 0.1 percent.
Amongst the various CPI components, year-on-year increases in prices were recorded in November 2006 for clothing and footwear (5.3 percent in the Composite CPI and 5.2 percent in the CPI(A)), housing (4.7 percent in the Composite CPI and 3.9 percent in the CPI(A)).
Taking the first eleven months of 2006 together, the Composite CPI rose by 2.0 percent over a year earlier. The corresponding increases in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 1.7 percent, 2.1 percent and 2.2 percent.
For the 3 months ended November 2006, the Composite CPI rose by 2.1 percent over a year earlier, while the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) rose by 1.8 percent, 2.1 percent and 2.3 percent respectively.
For the 12 months ended November 2006, the Composite CPI was on average 1.9 percent higher than in the preceding 12 month period. The respective increases in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 1.7 percent, 2.0 percent and 2.1 percent.
