Antigua and Barbuda
Official title
Cost of Living Index.
Scope
The index is compiled monthly and relates to middle-class
households with a monthly income of between 350 and 550 East
Caribbean dollars in 1974, and with a monthly average family size of
four to five members (including at least three adults).
Official base
1 January 1969 = 100.
Source of weights
The weights and selected items were based on a standards average monthly
market basket derived from the results of various studies of consumption
patterns of a cross-section of households of different sizes and
incomes, conducted in 1974.
Weights and composition
| Major groups
| Number of items
| Weights
| Approximate number of price quotations
|
| Food
| 43 | 46.5 | ...
|
| Rent, fuel and light
| 4 | 28.8 | ...
|
| Clothing and footwear
| 4 | 7.5 | ...
|
| Transport
| 1 | 10.0 | ...
|
| Personal and medical care, recreation, etc.
| 9 | 7.2 | ...
|
| Total
| 61 | 100.0 | ...
|
Household consumption expenditure
Not available.
Method of data collection
For the period 1969-1973, prices were ascertained from various
sources for 1 January and 1 July of each year. Since
1976, prices have been collected each month.
Housing
Not available.
Specification of varieties
Not available.
Substitution, quality change, etc.
Not available.
Seasonal items
Not available.
Computation
The index is compiled according to the Laspeyres formula as a
weighted arithmetic average with fixed base, using weights corresponding
to the base period.
Organisation and publication
Ministry of Planning, Development and External Affairs, Statistics
Division:
Cost of Living Index
(Antigua).
Idem: Cost of Living Index 1969-1974
(Antigua), Vol. I.