Puerto Rico
Official title
Consumer Price Index for All Families.
Scope
The index is compiled monthly and covers all urban households
including households of wage earners and salaried workers,
self-employed workers, pensioners and unemployed persons. It
excludes farm families, military personnel and persons in
institutions.
Official base
1984 = 100.
Source of weights
The weights and selected items were derived from the household
expenditure survey conducted in 1977, covering 2,017 households (1,360
urban and 657 rural households). The weights were based on the
expenditure pattern of urban households. The items included in the
index were selected according to their relative importance. The weights
were adjusted to take into account price changes between the survey
period and 1979.
Weights and composition
| Major groups
| Number of items
| Weights
| Approximate number of price quotations
(a)
|
| Food
| 110 | 30.40 | 366
|
| Housing:
|
| Rent
| 1 | 2.00 | (b)
|
| Hotel rates
| 1 | 0.71 | 25
|
| Owner-occupied housing
| 4 | 7.02 | 27
|
| Furnishings and household operation
| 42 | 9.46 | 172
|
| Fuel and light
| 5 | 5.11 | 8
|
| Clothing and footwear
| 37 | 10.00 | 310
|
| Transport
| 12 | 17.20 | 318
|
| Medical care
| 19 | 5.10 | 165
|
| Education and recreation
| 11 | 4.60 | 38
|
| Other goods and services
| 16 | 8.40 | 71
|
| Total
| 258 | 100.00 | 1500
|
Note: (a) Number of establishments.
(b) 2,000 rented dwellings.
Sampling
Localities were selected according to population size. Outlets were
slected with probability proportional to size of the retail sales.
Household consumption expenditure
Consumption expenditure for the purpose of the index includes all
goods and services purchased for consumption by the index
population. Insurance associated with specific goods and
services such as vehicle insurance, tenants' and home-owner
insurance and mortgage interest rates are included. It excludes
personal life insurance, income taxes and personal property
taxes.
Method of data collection
Prices are collected from about 1,500 selected retail
stores and establishments in 11 municipalities by agents.
Most of the items are priced each month. Prices for
lodging expenses, legal services, shoe repairs, plumbing
services, hairdressers, medical care, transportation, etc.
are collected each quarter. The prices used in the index are the
regular prices paid by any member of the public. Sale items
are also quoted.
Housing
The shelter element of housing comprises rent, lodging expenses
and expenditures on owner-occupied housing. Rent data are
collected quarterly from 2,000 (rented) dwellings. Under
owner-occupied housing, data are collected for mortgage interest,
repairs and maintenance.
Specification of varieties
Broad descriptions are given for the items to be priced.
Different brands can be used in different outlets to represent an
item so long as prices are collected for the same brand month
after month. The specific item for pricing is selected on the
basis of the sales information.
Substitution, quality change, etc.
If an item is no longer available, it is substituted by a similar
item.
Seasonal items
Very few seasonal items are included in the index. Prices for
fresh fruit are quoted when available in season and no adjustment
is made.
Computation
The index is computed according to the Laspeyres formula as a
weighted arithmetic average with fixed base, the weights
corresponding to 1977. The index was linked in July 193 to
base 1984 = 100.
The price relative for each item in each outlets is calculated by
dividing the price for the current period by the price for
the previous period. Then the average price relatives for each item are
obtained by adding all price relatives and dividing by the number of
price quotations for the particular item.
Annual index is computed as arithmetic mean of the monthly indexes.
Other information
A Consumer Price Index for wage earners' families (base 1967 = 100)
is also computed and published.
Organisation and publication
Department of labour and Human resources, Bureau of Labour Statistics,
Field of Personal Division, Cost of Living DivisionIndice de precios
al consumidor para todas las familias en Puerto Rico
(San Juan).
Idem: Importancia relativa de los bienes y servicios de consumo
en el índice de precios al consumidor para todas las familias en
Puerto Rico
(June 1980).
Idem: Articulos y servicios cuyos
precios se recopilan para el índice de precios al consumidor de
todas las familias y el revisado de familias obreras en Puerto
Rico
(September 1980).