Updating the Canadian CPI expenditure weights: Past experiences, current practices, and future prospects

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Prud'Homme, Marc^{; 1}

Affiliations: Statistics Canada, R.H. 23rd floor, Coats Building, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa (Ontario), Canada, K1A 0T6. E-mail: [email protected]

Note: [1] This is a revised version of the paper that was presented at the Joint UNECE/ILO Meeting on Consumer Price Indices (Geneva, 4–5 December 2003). The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of Statistics Canada.

Abstract: This paper provides a descriptive analysis about Canada's experience in the area of its CPI expenditure weights and their construction. It starts by presenting the purpose, structure and scope of the Canadian CPI expenditure weights, a section that could very well extend to many other national CPIs. Also discussed are the various steps involved with updating the Canadian CPI basket as well as the information sources for the expenditure weights. In the end, I speculate as to possible future directions with regards to the treatment of weights in the CPI.

Keywords: CPI, expenditure weights, family expenditure survey, food expenditure survey, survey of household spending

DOI: 10.3233/SJU-2004-21204

Journal: Statistical Journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 125-137, 2004