Item Selection and Quality Change in the Canadian Consumer Price Index

Articles and reports: 62F0014M1998012
Description: This paper examines the methods of adjustment for quality change made in the Canadian Consumer Price Index for the period 1989 to 1994. It finds that in most cases the current Canadian practice ensures that the replacement of one commodity by another, one variety of a commodity by another, or one outlet by another, has no impact on the overall index. The main exceptions to this result occur when replacing varieties of commodities that are purchased only occasionally, and a judgement is made that the quality ratio between the old and new variety is not the same as the ratio of their prices. In these cases there is an impact on the index, up or down, depending on whether the change in price reported is higher or lower than the change in quality. From the experience of the CPI in these six years there has been a correlation between the price ratio of a variety and its replacement and the index movement that derives from the judgement. The direction and size of the impact on the index depends largely on whether an item is replaced with a higher or lower priced item. For these reasons, the paper argues that more attention should be paid to ensuring that the item selection is more representative of current sales than has traditionally been the case.
no: 12
Issue Number: 1998012
Frequency: Occasional
Author(s): Lowe, Robin
Main Product: Prices Analytical Series
Format Release date More information
PDF May 13, 1999

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