1. Consumer Prices Index and Retail Prices Index methodology
Documents containing recent guidance on CPI and RPI statistics, published since 2010.
Older documents can be found on the linked “Methodology and articles” pages for 2005 to 2009 and 1998 to 2004.
2015
- Explaining private rental growth,(446 Kb Pdf) - Article
- CPI: a brief guide,(323.2 Kb Pdf) - Guidance
- Research indices using web scraped price data,(347.3 Kb Pdf) - Article
- Research indices using web scraped price data appendix tables,(2.44 Mb Excel sheet) - Data
- Re-referencing of the CPI and CPIH and Introduction of COICOP5,(24.3 Kb Pdf) - Article
- Trial consumer price indices using web scraped data,(611.7 Kb ZIP) - Data
- Revising the weight of Owner Occupiers' Housing in CPIH,(197.4 Kb Pdf) - Article
- Supplementary data (Revising OOH in CPIH),(120.5 Kb Excel sheet) - Data
- Improvements to the measurement of Owner Occupiers’ Housing Costs and Private Housing Rental Prices,(2.48 Mb Pdf) - Article
- Supplementary data (Improvements to the measurement of Owner Occupiers' Costs and Private Housing Rental Prices),(1.11 Mb Excel sheet) - Data
- Correspondence with the Bank of England regarding planned changes to consumer price inflation statistics,(124.3 Kb Pdf) - Correspondence
2014
- Comparing class-level chain drift for different elementary aggregate formulae using locally collected CPI data,(677.2 Kb Pdf) - Paper
- Initial investigations into the prevalence of multi-buy discounts and the effect of discount prices on price indices,(1.68 Mb Pdf) - Paper
- Calculating a Laspeyres version of the UK CPI,(166 Kb Pdf) - Paper
- Calculating a retrospective superlative CPI for the UK,(2.96 Mb Pdf) - Paper
- Initial report on experiences with scanner data in ONS,(184.6 Kb Pdf) - Article
- Variation in the inflation experience of UK households, 2003 to 2014,(1.21 Mb Pdf) - Article
- What is affecting prices in the UK in 2014?,(477.2 Kb Pdf) - Article
- University tuition fees in the CPI,(322.3 Kb Pdf) - Article
- CPIH announcement 14 August 2014 - explanatory note,(313.9 Kb Pdf) - Correspondence
- Review of hedonic quality adjustment in UK consumer price statistics and internationally,(130.1 Kb Pdf) - Article
- Correspondence with the Bank of England regarding planned changes to consumer price inflation statistics,(68.3 Kb Pdf) - Correspondence
2013
- Work programme for consumer price statistics,(70.6 Kb Pdf) - Article
- Users and uses of the consumer price inflation statistics,(100.5 Kb Pdf) - Article
- Consumer price inflation revisions policy October 2013,(49.6 Kb Pdf) - Article
- Explaining the contribution to change in the CPI 12 month rate,(37.1 Kb Pdf) - Guidance
- Introducing the new CPIH measure of consumer price inflation - Article
- Introducing the new RPIJ measure of consumer price inflation - Article
2012
- Consultation on the recommended method of reflecting owner occupiers' housing costs in a new additional measure of consumer price inflation, and the strategy for consumer price statistics - Consultation
- Modelling a back series for the CPI, 1950 to 2011 - Article
- Discussion paper: Results of ONS research into the application of the stochastic and sampling approaches to the choice of elementary aggregate formula,(1.11 Mb Pdf) - Article
Erwin Diewert report on consumer price statistics in the UK,(1.48 Mb Pdf) - Article
National Statistician's consultation on options for improving the RPI - Consultation
International comparison of the formula effect between the CPI and RPI,(152.2 Kb Pdf) - Article
Report of the triennial review of the CPI and RPI central collection of prices 2012,(1.75 Mb Pdf) - Review
2011
- Perceptions of consumer price inflation,(52.1 Kb Pdf) - Article
- Reconciliation of the differences between the CPI and the implied price deflator,(344.9 Kb Pdf) - Article
- Consultation on improving the measurement of car prices in the CPI and RPI - Consultation
- Responding to the open data agenda - an ONS case study: CPI,(1 Mb Pdf) - Information note
- Improving the timeliness of CPI and RPI publication - Information note
- History and differences between the CPI and RPI - Article
- Implications of the differences between the CPI and RPI,(149.8 Kb Pdf) - Article
- How ONS consumer price statistics are used,(67.2 Kb Pdf) - Article
- Impact of the VAT increase on the CPI,(37.5 Kb Pdf) - Information note
- Measurement of UK consumer price inflation - Royal Statistical Society presentation, January 2011,(587 Kb Powerpoint presentation) - Presentation slides
- Quick guide to inflation rates,(32.5 Kb Pdf) - Guidance
2010
- Consultation - measurement of seasonal items within the CPI and RPI - Consultation
- Consultation - the redesign of the Consumer Price Indices statistical bulletin - Consultation
- UK relative regional consumer price levels for goods and services for 2010 - Article
- CPI and RPI: increased impact of the formula effect in 2010,(61 Kb Pdf) - Information note
- CPI and RPI - analysing differences,(111.6 Kb Pdf) - Information note
- Differences between the RPI and CPI measures of inflation,(62.9 Kb Pdf) - Information note
2. House Price Index (HPI) user guidance and methodology
These are documents and articles that relate to the House Price Index. They contain guidance for both casual and specialist readers, and detail in depth the methodology of the index.
For further information, please contact hpi@ons.gov.uk.
2013
- Development of a single Official House Price Index (521.5 Kb Pdf) - Guidance and Methodology
- Official house price statistics explained (974.4 Kb Pdf) - Guidance and Methodology
- Hedonic model used in the ODPM's House Price Index (246.4 Kb Pdf) - Guidance and Methodology
3. Producer Price Index (PPI) user guidance and methodology
Links to documents giving further information about PPI statistics.
For enquiries email ppi@ons.gov.uk
2015
- Guidance on using indices in Indexation Clauses (197 Kb Pdf) - Guidance and Methodology
2014
- PPI, methods and guidance - 2014 Edition]2,(1.18 Mb Pdf) - Guidance and Methodology
2013
- PPI Rebasing 2010 – questions and answers (34 Kb Word document) - Guidance and Methodology
2012
- Triennial review of the PPIs 2012 (163 Kb Pdf) - Guidance and Methodology
- Triennial review of the index numbers of export prices (EPI) 2012 (167 Kb Pdf) - Guidance and Methodology
- Triennial review of the index numbers of import prices (IPI) 2012,(166.4 Kb Pdf) - Guidance and Methodology
- Rebasing the PPI and SPPI onto 2010=100 - Article
2010
- Producer prices and services producer prices: implementation of SIC2007 (84.1 Kb Pdf) - Article
2008
- Linking rebased indices (on SIC2003 basis only) (1.17 Mb Pdf) - Information Note
- Background note to MM22 PPIs (24.6 Kb Pdf) - Information Note
- Aerospace and electronic cost indices: data sources and implementation of UK SIC 2007 (27.2 Kb Pdf) | Information Note |
- Historic revisions due to reclassification to SIC2007 (29.1 Kb Pdf) - Table
- PPI Rebasing (2005=100) - Article
- Measuring the quality of the PPI - an update (141.2 Kb Pdf) - Article
2007
- Measuring the quality of the PPI (153.9 Kb Pdf) - Article
- PPI cut in sample size - Article
2003
- PPI redevelopment - Article
2002
- Users of PPI data (186.9 Kb Pdf) - Information Note
- Aggregates levy (13.9 Kb Pdf) - Information Note
2001
- Historical revisions to computer PPI - Article
- Input group definitions - Article
- Output group definitions - Article
4. Services producer price index (SPPI) user guidance and methodology
Links to documents giving further information about SPPI statistics (and their predecessor, corporate service price index (CSPI) statistics).
For enquiries email ppi@ons.gov.uk
2015
- SPPI methods and guidance - October 2015 (456.4 Kb Pdf) - Guidance and Methodology
- SPPI user feedback (92.3 Kb Pdf) - Information Note
- SPPI Coverage (113 Kb Excel sheet) - Guidance and Methodology
- SPPI Improving our user engagement (67.3 Kb Pdf) - Guidance and Methodology
2014
- SPPI Improvement and Development Programme (58 Kb Word document) - Guidance and Methodology
- SPPI rebasing 2010 – questions and answers (32.5 Kb Word document) - Guidance and Methodology
- Summary of index composition (55.2 Kb Word document) - Information Note
2012
- Triennial Review of the SPPIs 2012 (166.4 Kb Pdf) - Guidance and Methodology
- Rebasing the PPI and SPPI onto 2010=100 - Article
- The development of price indices for professional business services and cargo handling - phase 2 industries (1.07 Mb Pdf) - Article
2011
- The development of price indices for professional business services and cargo handling - phase 1 industries (147.7 Kb Pdf) - Article
2010
- Producer prices and services producer prices: implementation of SIC2007 (84.1 Kb Pdf) - Article
- Users of the SPPI (67.2 Kb Pdf) - Information Note
- Developments in SPPIs - Article
2008
- Rebasing the SPPI to 2005=100 - Article
2005
- Redeveloped index for business telecoms - Article
- Advertising placement CSPI (30.5 Kb Pdf)
2004
- Loan and deposit services from UK banks included in the experimental CSPI (144.1 Kb Pdf) - Article
- A redeveloped business telecommunications CSPI (169.9 Kb Pdf) - Article
- CSPI rebasing 2000=100 - Guidance and Methodology