The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released December 20 the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures for November 2007. According to the Composite CPI, overall consumer prices rose by 3.4% in November 2007 over a year earlier, larger than the 3.2% increase in October.
Analysed by sub-index, the year-on-year rates of increase in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 3.1%, 3.5% and 3.6% respectively in November 2007, which compared to 2.9%, 3.2% and 3.5% respectively 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 2007, the average monthly rates of increase in the seasonally adjusted Composite CPI, CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.7% and 0.6% respectively. The corresponding rates of increase for the 3-month period ended October 2007 were all 0.6%.
Year-on-year increases in prices were recorded for miscellaneous goods (3.6% in the Composite CPI and 4.1% in the CPI(A)); clothing and footwear (1.4% in the Composite CPI and 2.1% in the CPI(A)); transport (1.0% in the Composite CPI and 0.5% in the CPI(A)).
On the other hand, year-on-year declines in prices were recorded in November 2007 for durable goods (-3.9% in the Composite CPI and -4.1% in the CPI(A)). As for miscellaneous services, the Composite CPI rose by 0.8% over a year earlier but the CPI(A) fell by 1.2%.
Taking the first eleven months of 2007 together, the Composite CPI rose by 1.9% over a year earlier. The corresponding increases in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 1.1%, 2.0% and 2.5%.
For the 3 months ended November 2007, the Composite CPI rose by 2.8% over a year earlier, while the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) rose by 2.3%, 2.9% and 3.1% respectively.
For the 12 months ended November 2007, the Composite CPI was on average 1.9% higher than in the preceding 12-month period. The respective increases in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 1.1%, 2.0% and 2.5%.
Census & Statistics Department
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