Fact Service April 2013

Issue 15

RPI inflation rises

Retail price inflation is up, while consumer price inflation is unchanged, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show.

The annual rate of inflation — as measured by the Retail Prices Index (RPI) — was up to 3.3% in March from 3.2% the previous month. As reported in issue 11 of Fact Service the RPI no longer meets the required standard for designation as a National Statistic.

The RPIJ is an improved variant of the RPI which is calculated using formulae that meet international standards. Under this new experimental measure, the annual rate of inflation was up to 2.7% in March from 2.6% in February.

Under the measure generally used by the coalition government — the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) — inflation was unchanged at 2.8% in March.

A new experimental measure of consumer price inflation, CPIH, is based on the CPI, but includes owner occupiers’ housing costs. Under this measure inflation was unchanged at 2.6%.

Price inflation

% increase on a year earlier
RPI1 RPI RPIX2 CPI
2012
March 240.8 3.6 3.7 3.5
April 242.5 3.5 3.5 3.0
May 242.4 3.1 3.1 2.8
June 241.8 2.8 2.8 2.4
July 242.1 3.2 3.2 2.6
August 243.0 2.9 2.9 2.5
September 244.2 2.6 2.6 2.2
October 245.6 3.2 3.1 2.7
November 245.6 3.0 2.9 2.7
December 246.8 3.1 3.0 2.7
2013
January 245.8 3.3 3.3 2.7
February 247.6 3.2 3.2 2.8
March 248.7 3.3 3.2 2.8

1 Jan 1987=100

2 RPI except mortgage interest payment

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_306185.pdf