RDP 9810: The Distribution and Measurement of Inflation Appendix B: Component Frequency in the Distribution Tails
September 1998
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Table B1 lists the components of the Australian CPI and the number of quarters each is further than one, one-and-a-half, and two standard deviations from the mean rate of inflation in the left- and right-hand tails of the distribution.
| Outside one standard deviation(a) | Outside one-and-a-half standard deviations(a) | Outside two standard deviations(a) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left | Right | Left | Right | Left | Right | |
| Food | ||||||
| Milk and cream | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cheese | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Butter | 11 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Other dairy products | 4 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Bread | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Cakes and biscuits | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Breakfast cereals | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Other cereal products | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Beef and veal | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Lamb and mutton | 22 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 8 |
| Pork | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Poultry | 17 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Bacon and ham | 11 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Processed meat | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Fish | 9 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 6 |
| Fresh fruit | 28 | 27 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 15 |
| Fresh potatoes | 28 | 29 | 25 | 27 | 23 | 26 |
| Other fresh vegetables | 29 | 32 | 27 | 31 | 22 | 30 |
| Processed fruit | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fruit juice | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Processed vegetables | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Soft drinks and cordials | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ice cream and ice confectionary | 2 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Confectionery | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Meals out | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Take away foods | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eggs | 6 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| Sugar | 9 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| Jams, honey and sandwich spreads | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tea, coffee and food drinks | 9 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| Food additives, sauces and spices | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Margarine | 17 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| Cooking oils and fats | 13 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Other food | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clothing | ||||||
| Men's outer clothing | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Men's knitwear | 4 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Men's shirts | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Men's underwear, nightwear and socks | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Boy's clothing | 9 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Women's outer clothing | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Women's knitwear | 4 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Women's underwear, nightwear and hosiery | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Girl's clothing | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fabrics and knitting wool | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Men's footwear | 9 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Women's footwear | 7 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Children's footwear | 12 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Dry cleaning and shoe repairs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Household Equipment and Operation | ||||||
| Electricity | 1 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| Gas | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other fuels | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Furniture | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Floor coverings | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Appliances | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bedding | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Towels, linen and curtains | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tableware, glassware and cutlery | 14 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Kitchen and cooking utensils | 9 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Cleaning utensils | 6 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Tools | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Household cleaning agents | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Household paper products | 6 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| Other household non-durables | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Stationery | 7 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| Watches and clocks** | 14 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 5 |
| Veterinary services** | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Pet foods | 4 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Travel goods | 11 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| House contents insurance* | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Repairs to appliances | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Postal services | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Telephone services | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Housing | ||||||
| Privately-owned dwelling rents | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Government-owned dwelling rents | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Local government rates and charges | 4 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| House repairs and maintenance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| House insurance | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Transportation | ||||||
| Motor vehicles | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Automotive fuel | 20 | 18 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 6 |
| Vehicle insurance | 2 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| Motoring charges | 2 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Tyres and tubes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle servicing, repairs and parts | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Urban transport fares | 0 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Alcohol and Tobacco | ||||||
| Beer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wine | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Spirits | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cigarettes and tobacco | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Health and Personal Care | ||||||
| Hospital and medical services | 5 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 6 |
| Optical services** | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dental services | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pharmaceuticals | 22 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
| Toiletries and personal products | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Hairdressing services | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Recreation and Education | ||||||
| Books, newspapers and magazines | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Video and sound equipment | 25 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Records, cassettes and tapes | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Sports and photographic equipment and toys | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Holiday travel and accommodation in Australia* | 10 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Holiday travel and accommodation overseas* | 20 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 |
| Photographic services | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Repairs to recreational goods | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Entertainment | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Education fees* | 3 | 15 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 12 |
| Child care fees* | 3 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
Notes: (a) Number of quarters each component is more than 1, 1.5 or 2 standard deviations from the mean out of 70 quarters, apart from those marked with * or ** which are in the sample for 65 and 46 quarters. |
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