Hungary
Official title
Fogyasztói arindexn (Consumer Price Index).
Scope
The index is compiled monthly and covers the whole country and
the Hungarian population.
Official base
December of the previous year = 100.
Sources of weights
The major part of the weights is derived from the continuous
household expenditure survey and the weights are revised every
year. The Household Budget Survey covers a sample of 9,800 randomly
selected private households. Each household keeps an expenditure
diary providing detail information on all expenditures. The
expenditure on certain items such as alcohol, tobacco, etc. is
corrected using macro data. The reference base for the weights
is two years prior to the current year.
Weights and composition
| Major groups | Number of basic
headings
| Weights | Approx. No. of price quotation ('98)
|
| Food | 49 | 27.6 | 36,600
|
| Beverages and tobacco | 4 | 8.9 | 6,800
|
| Fuel and power | 8 | 8.5 | 1,300
|
| Clothing and footwear | 27 | 6.2 | 26,400
|
| Consumer durable goods | 15 | 5.9 | 9,700
|
| Other goods | 23 | 17.1 | 33,600
|
| Services | 34 | 25.8 | 13,200
|
| Total | 160 | 100.0 | 127,600
|
Household consumption expenditure
Consumption expenditure for the purpose of the index includes
goods and services purchased by the index population for the
direct satisfaction of (household) human needs. Television
licences, repairs and imputed rents of owner-occupied dwellings
are included. Consumption from own production or consumption in
kind received free of charge, benefits in kind, consumer credit
charges, life insurance premiums, direct taxes and second-hand
transactions (except for second-hand cars) are excluded. Medical
and educational costs are included up to the proportion paid by
the households.
Sample selection
The 1,600 items presenting the most important elements in the
household consumption were selected by the Central Statistical
Office by concentrated selection. The prices are collected in
each country centre. In addition, they are collected in a number
of other randomly selected towns and villages. Within selected
localities about 8,000 shops, services places and markets with
the biggest turnover and largest assortment of goods were
selected. Small shops were also included in the sample. The
price observation does not extent to such special forms of
commerce as automate vending, shopping by mail and tax-free
shops.
Method of data collection
Prices for about 1,600 individual items are collected by 140
price collectors from approximately 8,000 outlets. For
certain items such as telecommunication, medicines, railway
tickets and newspapers, prices are collected centrally. The prices
for central heating, water charges, sewage disposal, rent and
local transport are collected from local authorities.
The number of price quotations for each item is 30-150 depending
on its character. Prices are collected monthly from the 2nd to
the 24th of the month.
The prices collected are prices actually charged on the day of
price collection. Special sale prices, as well as prices of
imported goods are taken into consideration.
Housing
Rent quotations are obtained monthly from local authorities and
other sources e.g. agencies. The imputed rent of owner occupied
dwellings is taken into consideration as well. The computation
of imputed rent for owner occupied housing is based on average of
price indices of different repair items in connection with
dwellings.
Specification of varieties
The specification of individual items to be prices are described
by their most important characteristics (size, quality, brand).
Substitution, quality changes
The replacements are treated when possible. If a price is
missing imputation is applied. No adjustments are made on the
basis of quality changes.
Seasonal items
During the season the actual prices of seasonal goods and services
are observed. During the off- season prices are imputed
by correcting the latest season price by the rate of price change
of the relevant basic heading.
Computation
The elementary aggregate indices are computed as ratios of average
prices. The all items index is computed as weighted average
average of 160 basic headings indices.
There are fixed annual weights for each social group and for each
income bracket. The index is computed according the Laspayres
chain formulae.
Other information
Changes in methodology are currently planned in order to meet
Eurostat standards by the year 1998-2000.
Organisation and publication
Központi Statisztikai Hivatal (Central Statistical Office)
Statisztikai Havi Közlemények
(Monthly Bulletin of Statistics),
Statisztikai Evkönyv
(Statistical Yearbook).
Fogyasztói árindex fuzetek
(Consumer Price Index Booklet).
On Internet website: http://www.ksh.hu