CPI and RPI: the 2010 basket of goods and services

SUMMARYThe ‘shopping basket’ of items making up the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) and Retail Prices Index (RPI) are reviewed each year as part of the process of continual improvement. Some items are taken out of the basket and some are brought in to make sure the CPI and RPI are up to date and representative of consumer spending patterns. This article describes the review process and explains how and why the various items in the CPI and RPI baskets are chosen. It also discusses the main changes from the 2009 price collection.The contents of the CPI and RPI baskets for 2010 are summarised in Annexes A and B of the full article, which can be downloaded from the Offi ce for National Statistics website at: www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/article.asp?ID=2372.This article also describes two other changes. These relate to the interest rate used in compiling the mortgage interest payments component of the RPI and the collection of clothing prices in CPI and RPI.