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Using Engel Curves to Estimate the Bias in the Australian CPI

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  • GARRY F. BARRETT
  • MATTHEW BRZOZOWSKI

Abstract

The Australian consumer price index (CPI) is a Laspeyres price index which is subject to a number of well-known biases. In this article we evaluate the performance of the Australian CPI as a true cost of living index by comparing CPI-deflated food Engel curves estimated with the Australian Bureau of Statistics Household Expenditure Surveys. Our findings indicate that the Australian CPI overstated the change in the general cost of living between 1975/1976 and 2003/2004 by 34 per cent. The CPI was especially inaccurate for single adults and lone mother families. In contrast, the CPI was relatively accurate in measuring the change in the cost of living for two-adult and working families. Copyright © 2009 The Economic Society of Australia.

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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by The Economic Society of Australia in its journal Economic Record.

Volume (Year): 86 (2010)
Issue (Month): 272 (03)
Pages: 1-14

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Handle: RePEc:bla:ecorec:v:86:y:2010:i:272:p:1-14

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Cited by:
  1. Almås, Ingvild & Johnsen, Åshild Auglænd, 2012. "The cost of living in China: Implications for inequality and poverty," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 21/2012, Department of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics.
  2. Ingvild Almas & Anders Kjelsrud & Rohini Somanathan, 2013. "A Behaviour-Based Approach To The Estimation Of Poverty In India," Working papers 226, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.
  3. Susan Olivia & John Gibson, 2012. "Using Engel Curves to Measure CPI Bias for Indonesia," Working Papers in Economics 12/06, University of Waikato, Department of Economics.
  4. Irineu E. Carvalho Filho & Marcos Chamon, 2008. "The Myth of Post-Reform Income Stagnation: Evidence from Brazil and Mexico," IMF Working Papers 08/197, International Monetary Fund.

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