Inflation should no longer be a politically sensitive indicator. Indeed, since the early 1980s, macroeconomic policies have managed to contain it. Yet the consumer price index (CPI), which is the main indicator for measuring inflation, remains very frequently consulted by citizens, due to its...

Introduction -- 1.What is a Price Index - Statistical Approach -- 2. A Political Economy of the Price Index, 1913-1990 -- 3. The European Turning Point -- 4. The Quality Effect -- 5. From Consumer Prices to the 'Cost of Living' -- 6. The Reform of “Checkout Data” -- 7. Under or...